Cardiac monitoring and diagnostic system

• US 5,456,261 A
• Filed: 12/16/1993
• Issued: 10/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marquette Electronics (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Marquette Electronics (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Luczyk, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHAETZLE, KENNEDY
• Application Number:
  US08/168,538
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 128/696, 128/702, 128/703, 128/704, 128/705, 364/413.06
• US Class Current: 600/515
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/364 Detecting abnormal ECG interval, e.g. extrasystoles, ectopic heartbeats

Abstract

A cardiac monitoring system includes an acquisition module for acquiring a plurality of analog cardiac signals through leads connected to predetermined locations on the body of a patient and for converting the cardiac signals to twelve standardized ECG lead signals. An arrhythmia monitor analyzes a plurality of the ECG signals for determining the existence of rhythm abnormalities and a twelve lead analyzer analyzes both the rhythm and the contours of all of the ECG lead signals for rhythming conduction, infarction, hypertrophy and repolarization abnormalities. The arrhythmia monitor and the twelve lead analyzers are operated concurrently for the simultaneous analysis of the ECG signals so that the occurrence of a rhythm abnormality and its cause can be determined on a real time basis.

Claims

1. A method of cardiac monitoring including the steps of acquiring a plurality of analog cardiac signals through leads connected to predetermined locations on the body of a patient, converting said cardiac signals to a plurality of standard digitized ECG lead signals, analyzing a first group of said ECG signals for determining on a real time basis the existence of rhythm abnormalities in the patient'"'"'s heartbeats, and simultaneously with the analysis of said first group of ECG signals for rhythm abnormalities also analyzing the contours of all of said ECG lead signals, including the signals of said first group of ECG signals, for contour abnormalities including, conduction, infarction, hypertrophy and repolarization abnormalities whereby the occurrence of a rhythm abnormality and its cause can be determined concurrently.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein twelve ECG lead signals are analyzed for contour abnormalities.

3. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein said first group of ECG lead signals comprise leads I, II, III and V-1 and all of said ECG lead signals comprise said first group of ECG signals plus V2-V6, aVR, aVL, and aVF.

4. A cardiac monitoring system including means for acquiring a plurality of analog cardiac signals through leads connected to predetermined locations on the body of a patient, means for converting said cardiac signals to a plurality of standardized ECG lead signals, first analyzing means for analyzing a group of said ECG signals for determining the existence of rhythm abnormalities, second analyzing means operable simultaneously with said first analyzing means for analyzing the contours of all of said ECG lead signals, including said first group of signals for contour abnormalities, conduction, infarction, hypertrophy and repolarization abnormalities, and a means for simultaneously actuating said first and second analyzing means for the simultaneous analysis of said group of ECG signals and all of said ECG signals whereby the occurrence of a rhythm abnormality and its cause can be determined concurrently.

5. The cardiac monitoring system set forth in claim 4 wherein said first and second analyzing means are operative to analyze simultaneously said ECG signals on a real time basis.

6. The cardiac monitoring system set forth in claim 5 wherein said ECG lead signals comprise twelve standardized signals.

7. The cardiac monitoring system set forth in claim 6 wherein said first analyzing means is operative to analyze twelve ECG lead signals.

8. A method of cardiac monitoring including the steps of acquiring a plurality of analog cardiac signals through leads connected to predetermined locations on the body of a patient, converting said cardiac signals to a plurality of standard digitized ECG lead signals, analyzing a first group of said ECG signals for determining on a real time basis the existence of rhythm abnormalities in the patients heartbeats, and simultaneously with the analysis of said first group of ECG signals analyzing the contours of all of said ECG lead signals, including the first group of ECG signals, for contour abnormalities in the same heartbeats, whereby the occurrence of a rhythm abnormality can be determined from the rhythm analysis and its cause can be determined concurrently from the contour analysis.

9. The method set forth in claim 8 wherein twelve ECG lead signals are analyzed for contour abnormalities.