Method and apparatus for creating a representative heartbeat from an ECG waveform
First Claim
1. A method of creating information about a representative heartbeat from an ECG waveform, said method comprising the steps of:
- detecting a plurality of heartbeats in said ECG waveform;
classifying said plurality of heartbeats as dominant heartbeats and non-dominant heartbeats;
aligning said dominant heartbeats to create aligned dominant heartbeats;
creating a representative heartbeat from said plurality of aligned dominant heartbeats, said creating step further comprising the steps of;
time slicing through said plurality of aligned dominant heartbeats;
responsive to said time slicing step, determining the magnitudes of each of said plurality of aligned dominant heartbeats at a first slice of time, thereby creating first magnitudes;
sorting the first magnitudes from smallest first magnitude to largest first magnitude, thereby creating sorted first magnitudes;
first discarding a first percentage of the smallest first magnitudes;
second discarding a second percentage of the largest first magnitudes, wherein said first magnitudes remaining after said first discarding step and said second discarding step are remaining first magnitudes;
averaging said remaining first magnitudes, thereby creating an average first magnitude; and
storing said average first magnitude.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for creating a representative heartbeat obtains ECG data from a plurality of ECG waveforms, which are in turn obtained from signals received from a plurality of ECG electrodes. QRS detection logic detects heartbeats in the ECG data. Classification logic classifies heartbeats into categories based on shape and/or timing. Alignment logic aligns the heartbeats. This logic slides the heartbeats occurring at various times across a stationary alignment template to calculate when the heartbeats are best aligned, and performs adjustments to reduce the effects of noise or jitter on the different ECG waveforms. Representative heartbeat creation logic creates a representative heartbeat from the aligned heartbeats. This logic time slices through the aligned heartbeats, discarding a percentage of the smallest and largest magnitudes of the aligned heartbeats at each instance of time, and averaging the remaining magnitudes to produce a representative heartbeat. This trimmed averaging technique results in a high quality representative beat, since samples from noise and misclassified beats are discarded. The representative heartbeat is displayed, either alone or with head rate and/or other measurement information, to the cardiologist or medical professional for diagnosis of the condition of the patient'"'"'s head, such as a diagnosis of coronary artery disease, based on finding a depressed ST segment in the representative heartbeat of a patient undergoing a stress or exercise test.
30 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of creating information about a representative heartbeat from an ECG waveform, said method comprising the steps of:
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detecting a plurality of heartbeats in said ECG waveform; classifying said plurality of heartbeats as dominant heartbeats and non-dominant heartbeats; aligning said dominant heartbeats to create aligned dominant heartbeats; creating a representative heartbeat from said plurality of aligned dominant heartbeats, said creating step further comprising the steps of; time slicing through said plurality of aligned dominant heartbeats; responsive to said time slicing step, determining the magnitudes of each of said plurality of aligned dominant heartbeats at a first slice of time, thereby creating first magnitudes; sorting the first magnitudes from smallest first magnitude to largest first magnitude, thereby creating sorted first magnitudes; first discarding a first percentage of the smallest first magnitudes; second discarding a second percentage of the largest first magnitudes, wherein said first magnitudes remaining after said first discarding step and said second discarding step are remaining first magnitudes; averaging said remaining first magnitudes, thereby creating an average first magnitude; and storing said average first magnitude. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A medical device for creating information about a representative heartbeat from an ECG waveform, said medical device comprising:
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detection logic for detecting a plurality of heartbeats in said ECG waveform; classification logic for classifying said plurality of heartbeats as dominant heartbeats and non-dominant heartbeats; alignment logic for aligning said dominant heartbeats to create aligned dominant heartbeats; representative heartbeat logic for creating a representative heartbeat from said plurality of aligned dominant heartbeats, said representative heartbeat logic further comprising; means for time slicing through said plurality of aligned dominant heartbeats; means, responsive to said time slicing means, for determining the magnitudes of each of said plurality of aligned dominant heartbeats at a first slice of time, thereby creating first magnitudes; means for sorting the first magnitudes from smallest first magnitude to largest first magnitude, thereby creating sorted first magnitudes; first discarding means for discarding a first percentage of the smallest first magnitudes; second discarding means for discarding a second percentage of the largest first magnitudes, wherein said first magnitudes remaining after said first discarding means and said second discarding means are remaining first magnitudes; means for averaging said remaining first magnitudes, thereby creating an average first magnitude; and means for storing said average first magnitude. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification