Electrocardiogram signal processing apparatus for determining the existence of the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

• US 4,704,681 A
• Filed: 04/18/1985
• Issued: 11/03/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Shimizu, Shigeru, Kumasaka, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAYES, GAIL O
• Application Number:
  US06/724,468
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 364/417, 128/704-706, 128/708, 33/1 C
• US Class Current: 600/517
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/366 Detecting abnormal QRS complex, e.g. widening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4082 Diagnosing or monitoring movement diseases, e.g. Parkinson, Huntington or Tourette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7239 using differentiation including higher order derivatives

Abstract

An electrocardiogram signal processing apparatus includes an analog-to-digital converter, and first, second and third processors. The analog-to-digital converter converts the input electrocardiogram signal into a digital signal. The first processor processes the digital signal by secondary differentiation to produce a secondary differentiated signal. The second processor detects the onset of the QRS complex in accordance with an input signal from the first processor, and the third processor recognizes a delta wave which is peculiar to an electrocardiogram of the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in accordance with the digital signal, the secondary differentiated signal and the onset location of the QRS complex.

Claims

1. An electrocardiogram signal processing apparatus comprising:

an analog-to-digital converter for converting an input electrocardiogram signal into a digital electrocardiogram signal;

differentiation means for secondarily differentiating said digital electrocardiogram signal delivered from said analog-to-digital converter;

means for detecting a QRS complex onset on the basis of the secondary differentiated signal delivered from said differentiation means;

means for detecting an intermediate point having the maximum value, said intermediate point existing between said QRS complex onset and an R wave, in response to said secondary differentiated signal;

means for determining values of said digital electrocardiogram signal at said QRS complex onset and at said intermediate point;

means for determining a slope between said QRS complex onset and said intermediate point by using values and a distance between said QRS complex onset and said intermediate point; and

means for determining the existence of the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome when said slope lies within a predetermined range.

2. An electrocardiogram signal processing apparatus comprising:

an analog-to-digital converter for converting an input electrocardiogram signal into a digital signal;

a first processing means for processing said digital signal by secondary differentiation to produce a secondary differentiated signal;

a second processing means for detecting an onset of the QRS complex in accordance with an output signal from said first processing means; and

a third processing means for recognizing a delta wave which is peculiar to an electrocardiogram of the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in accordance with said digital signal, the secondary differentiated signal delivered from said first processing means and the onset location of said QRS complex.

3. An electrocardiogram signal processing apparatus comprising:

means for converting an input electrocardiogram signal into a digital electrocardiogram signal;

means for secondarily differentiating said digital electrocardiogram signal delivered from said converting means to produce a secondary differentiated electrocardiogram signal;

means for recognizing a QRS complex contained in said input electrocardiogram signal on the basis of said secondary differentiated electrocardiogram signal to determine an onset point QRS_b and an end point QRS_e of said QRS complex; and

means responsive to said digital electrocardiogram signal, said secondary differentiated electrocardiogram signal, said onset point QRS_b and said end point QRS_e for detecting a delta wave indicating the existence of the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome contained in said input electrocardiogram signal, wherein said delta wave detecting means includes;

means for detecting a point QRS_p corresponding to a peak point between said onset point QRS_b and said end point QRS_e ;

means for detecting a point QRS_d between said onset point QRS_b and said point QRS_p, said point QRS_d having the maximum value in regard to said secondary differentiated signal within the interval between said onset point QRS_b and said point QRS_p ;

means for calculating a value of ##EQU3## said X(QRS_d) indicating a value of said digital electrocardiogram signal at said point QRS_d, said X(QRS_b) indicating a value of said digital electrocardiogram signal at said onset point QRS_b and said {t(QRS_d)-t(QRS_B)} indicating said interval between said onset point QRS_b and said point QRS_d, and;

means for determining the presence of said delta wave in said input electrocardiogram signal when said value of ##EQU4## lies in a predetermined range.

4. An electrocardiogram signal processing method comprising:

converting an input electrocardiogram signal into a digital electrocardiogram signal;

secondarily differentiating said digital electrocardiogram signal to produce a secondary differentiated electrocardiogram signal;

detecting a QRS complex onset point QRS_b and a QRS complex end point QRS_e on the basis of said secondary differentiated electrocardiogram signal;

5. detecting an R wave point QRS_p between said QRS complex onset point QRS_b and said QRS complex end point QRS_e, said R wave point QRS_p corresponding to a peak point between said QRS complex onset point QRS_b and said QRS complex end point QRS_e ;

detecting a point QRS_d under the condition that said point QRS_d is between said QRS complex onset point QRS_b and said R wave point QRS_p and has the maximum value in regard to said secondary differentiated signal within the interval between said QRS complex onset point QRS_b and said R wave point QRS_p ;

determining a condition that the interval {t(QRS_e)-t(QRS_b)} between said QRS complex onset point QRS_b and said QRS complex end point QRS_e is greater than a first predetermined period and the interval {t(QRS_p)-t(QRS_b)} between said R wave point QRS_p and said QRS complex onset point QRS_b is greater than a second predetermined period;

calculating a value of ##EQU5## said X(QRS_d) corresponding to a magnitude of said input electrocardiogram signal at said point QRS_d, said X(QRS_b) corresponding to a magnitude of said input electrocardiogram signal at said QRS complex onset point QRS_b and said {t(QRS_d -t(QRS_b)} corresponding to the interval between said point QRS_d and said QRS complex onset point QRS_b ; and

determining the existence of said Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome under said condition detected by determining the step when said value of ##EQU6## lies within a predetermined range.