Device for detecting abnormal heart muscle electrical activity
First Claim
1. An apparatus for monitoring heart muscle electrical activity of a patient comprising:
- means positionable on the body of a patient for receiving electrical heart muscle signals generated by the patient;
means for establishing a reference axis relative to each of said signals;
means for identifying an ST segment in each of said signals;
means for measuring an ST deviation from said reference axis of each said ST segment and comparing said ST deviation to a predetermined threshold ST deviation; and
means for selectively storing an anomalous ST deviation when said anomalous ST deviation exceeds said predetermined threshold ST deviation and excluding ST deviations below said predetermined threshold ST deviation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable apparatus and method for monitoring heart muscle electrical activity includes a plurality of electrical contacts and a monitoring unit. The contacts receive the electrical signals generated by the heart muscle of a patient and transmit the signals to the monitoring unit. A reference axis is established for each signal by the monitoring unit. Predetermined portions of each signal are then used by the monitoring unit to identify the ST segment of the signal which is then compared to the reference axis. Whenever a series of ST segments exhibit an ST deviation from the reference axis which exceeds a predetermined threshold ST deviation, the monitoring unit records data relating thereto which is used for diagnosis of myocardial ischemia.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for monitoring heart muscle electrical activity of a patient comprising:
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means positionable on the body of a patient for receiving electrical heart muscle signals generated by the patient; means for establishing a reference axis relative to each of said signals; means for identifying an ST segment in each of said signals; means for measuring an ST deviation from said reference axis of each said ST segment and comparing said ST deviation to a predetermined threshold ST deviation; and means for selectively storing an anomalous ST deviation when said anomalous ST deviation exceeds said predetermined threshold ST deviation and excluding ST deviations below said predetermined threshold ST deviation.
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2. An apparatus for monitoring heart muscle electrical activity of a patient comprising:
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means positionable on the body of a patient for receiving electrical heart muscle signals generated by the patient; means for establishing a reference axis relative to each of said signals; means for identifying an ST segment in each of said signals; means for measuring an ST deviation from said reference axis of each said ST segment and comparing said ST deviation to a predetermined threshold ST deviation wherein said measuring means is further for determining an average ST deviation from a plurality of said ST deviations in sequence and for comparing said average ST deviation to said predetermined threshold ST deviation; and means for storing an anomalous ST deviation exceeding said predetermined threshold ST deviation wherein said storing means is further for storing a plurality of anomalous ST deviations in sequence having an average ST deviation exceeding said predetermined threshold deviation to the exclusion of ST deviations having an average ST deviation below said predetermined threshold ST deviation. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for monitoring heart muscle electrical activity of a patient comprising:
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a plurality of electrical contacts positionable on the body of a patient to receive electrical heart muscle signals generated by the patient; and a monitoring unit having a microprocessor in electrical communication with said plurality of electrical contacts to establish a reference axis relative to each of said signals, to identify an ST segment in each of said signals, to measure an ST deviation from said reference axis of each said ST segment, and to compare said ST deviation to a predetermined threshold ST deviation, said monitoring unit further having a memory to selectively store an anomalous ST deviation when said anomalous ST deviation exceeds said predetermined threshold ST deviation. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method for monitoring heart muscle electrical activity of a patient employing a portable monitoring unit affixable to the patient, the method comprising:
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obtaining electrical heart muscle signals generated by the patient and transmitting said signals to said monitoring unit; establishing a reference axis relative to each of said signals by means of said monitoring unit; identifying an ST segment in each of said signals by means of said monitoring unit; measuring an ST deviation from said reference axis for each said ST segment and comparing said ST deviation to a predetermined threshold ST deviation by means of said monitoring unit; and selectively storing an anomalous ST deviation when said anomalous ST deviation exceeds said predetermined threshold ST deviation by means of a memory within said monitoring unit.
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14. A method for monitoring heart muscle electrical activity of a patient employing a portable monitoring unit affixable to the patient, the method comprising:
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obtaining electrical heart muscle signals generated by the patient and transmitting said signals to said monitoring unit; establishing a reference axis relative to each of said signals by means of said monitoring unit; identifying an ST segment in each of said signals by means of monitoring unit; measuring an ST deviation from said reference axis for each said ST segment; determining an average ST deviation from a plurality of ST deviations in sequence and comparing said average ST deviation to said predetermined threshold ST deviation within said monitoring unit; and storing a plurality of anomalous ST deviations in sequence having an average ST deviation exceeding said predetermined threshold deviation in a memory of said monitoring unit to the exclusion of ST deviations having an average ST deviation below said predetermined threshold ST deviation. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification