Cardiac signal real time monitor and method of analysis
First Claim
1. A method of evaluating a curve having a rapidly changing value by determining the positive or negative quality of the slope of said curve and by determining when the value of said curve is above or below a predetermined threshold value, comprising the steps of:
- determining a frequency of sampling;
determining the slope of the curve between a first sampling and a successive later sampling by substracting the value of the curve at each first sampling from the value of the curve at said later sampling;
providing four shift registers each having space for a plurality of bits and for a Flag Bit;
assigning a shift register to each of the curve values of positive slope, negative slope, above threshold and below threshold;
feeding an appropriate bit value to each shift register at each sampling;
determining a numerical value represented by said plurality of bits arrayed in each shift register;
providing a table of values correlating the status of said Flag Bit to each one of the numerical values possibly represented by said array of bits;
finding said determined numerical value in said table;
changing, as needed, the status of said Flag Bit in accordance with said determined numerical value found in said table; and
performing at each sampling said sequence of steps so that the status of said Flag Bit may be changed as needed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for monitoring EKG information includes a programmable apparatus carried by an ambulatory patient for performing continuous, real-time analyses of EKG information derived from the patient. The apparatus facilitates the determination of the existence of various conditions based on these analyses which portend cardiac complications including myocardial ischemia, and arrhythemia activity and further instructs the patient on the manner of treatment required for the detected condition.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method of evaluating a curve having a rapidly changing value by determining the positive or negative quality of the slope of said curve and by determining when the value of said curve is above or below a predetermined threshold value, comprising the steps of:
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determining a frequency of sampling; determining the slope of the curve between a first sampling and a successive later sampling by substracting the value of the curve at each first sampling from the value of the curve at said later sampling; providing four shift registers each having space for a plurality of bits and for a Flag Bit; assigning a shift register to each of the curve values of positive slope, negative slope, above threshold and below threshold; feeding an appropriate bit value to each shift register at each sampling; determining a numerical value represented by said plurality of bits arrayed in each shift register; providing a table of values correlating the status of said Flag Bit to each one of the numerical values possibly represented by said array of bits; finding said determined numerical value in said table; changing, as needed, the status of said Flag Bit in accordance with said determined numerical value found in said table; and performing at each sampling said sequence of steps so that the status of said Flag Bit may be changed as needed. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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2. The method for continuously monitoring every beat of the heart of a human patient subject to detect abnormal functioning of the heart and to alert the patient immediately upon the occurence of any one of a plurality of detected abnormal heart functions, comprising the steps of:
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providing electrode means, using the output signal of said electrode means to produce EKG signals, determining, by analyzing said signals, whether or not each heart beat includes an abnormal QRS portion, determining, by analyzing said signals, whether or not each heart beat is a VPB, and continuously repeating each of said determining steps without interruption while actuating alarm means no later than upon conclusion of said each beat if either of said determining steps indicates an abnormal QRS portion or a VPB, which in turn indicates some abnormal heart function, and signalling to said patient instructions for treatment of each indicated abnormal heart function as it occurs.
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3. A portable computerized EKG monitir, comprising:
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real-time recognition means for recognizing abnormal cardiac events in an ambulatory patient, real-time diagnosis means for diagnosing each said recognized abnormal cardiac event, and signalling means for communicating to the ambulatory patient a treatment for said recognized and diagnosed abnormal cardiac event.
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4. A portable cardiac monitor for an ambulatory patient comprising:
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computer means for performing continuous real-time analysis of EKG information derived from said patient, including first means for recognizing abnormal cardiac events, and second means for diagnosing each of said abnormal cardiac events, and means for signalling, to the patient, a treatment corresponding to each said recognized and diagnosed abnormal cardiac event at the onset of each of said abnormal cardiac events, whereby the patient may immediately begin self-treatment of each said recognized and diagnosed abnormal cardiac event without the need for intervention of a trained cardiac specialist.
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5. Portable apparatus for continuously monitoring EKG signals generated by the heart of an ambulatory patient, comprising:
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self-contained, computerized analyzing means, carried on said patient, for performing real-time analysis of said EKG signals, said computerized analyzing means including means for diagnosing abnormal cardiac events and means for issuing instructions, to said patient, for treatment of said abnormal events.
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6. Portable apparatus for continuous real-time monitoring of EKG signals from an ambulatory patient, comprising:
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means for detecting, amplifying and digitizing said signals, means for analyzing said digitized signals to determine the existence of abnormal heart conditions; means for correlating information resulting from analysis of said signals with apparatus condition, and patient treatment, instructions, and means for signalling, to said ambulatory patient, said instruments. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20)
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12. Portable apparatus for continuous real-time monitoring of EKG signals from an ambulatory patient, comprising:
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electrode means for detecting said EKG signals; means for amplifying and digitizing the EKG signals detected by said electrode means, means for analyzing said digitized signals and identifying abnormal events, and means for instantaneously instructing said patient to proceed in a manner corresponding to the abnormal event identified. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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21. A method for determining cardiac conditions of an ambulatory patient using apparatus carried on the patient including electrode sensing means located in the vicinity of the patient'"'"'s heart and capable of picking up waveforms corresponding to heartbeats, signal processing means for identifying at least an EKG signal pattern characteristically including an isoelectric baseline portion, a spike portion and a generally linear portion following said spike portion at approximately the same level as said isoelectric portion, a computer means, and a display alarm means actuated by said computer means, the method comprising the steps of:
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sampling a number of said waveforms picked up by said electrode means, detecting, in said waveforms, distortions from said EKG signal pattern indicative of abnormal cardiac conditions, distinguishing between a first distortion pattern characterized by a variation in the peak-to-peak distance between each spike of said waveforms and indicative of a ventricular premature beat, and a second distortion pattern characterized by a deviation of said linear portion from the level of said isoelectric portion in at least one of said waveforms and indicative of a myocardial ischemia condition, and alerting said ambulatory patient of at least one of said distortion patterns. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for detecting the significance of slope conditions for a series of complex waveforms in which a computer means and a plurality of shift registers are used for analyzing said waveforms, comprising the steps of:
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calculating a current slope value as the difference between the amplitudes of two successive values in the waveform; assigning to a first group of shift registers from said plurality of shift registers a value corresponding to the sign value of said current slope value; comparing the quantitative value of said current slope value with a predetermined threshold value; assigning to a second group of shift registers from said plurality of shift registers a value corresponding to said quantitative comparison; assigning a bit from each of said first group of shift registers for said sign value of each said current slope value; assigning a bit from each of said second group of shift registers for the output of said step of comparing; and updating one of the peripheral bits of each of said registers as a Flag Bit after each sampling period for indicating a trend, or the absence of a trend, in said registers. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification