Method of and apparatus for analyzing a signal
First Claim
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1. A method of analyzing a signal representing a physical parameter for at least one of the purposes:
- (i) to obtain information from said signal, (ii) to extrapolate information contained in said signal and (iii) to ignore an interfering component in part of said signal, said signal representing one of the group consisting of only a first portion of a skew distribution, and a first portion of a skew distribution, and a second portion containing said interfering component, said method comprising the steps of;
a) selecting two fractions of the maximum value of said signal in said first portion and selecting whether said fractions are to represent positions on said skew distribution having a positive or negative slope, said fractions being used to delineate between first and second parts of said skew distribution, said first and second parts being delineated to lie within said first portion of said skew distribution, b) determining the integrals of said first and second parts, and c) determining the integrals of said complete skew distribution using said determined integrals of said first and second parts and a predetermined relationship between the integral of a complete skew distribution and functions of integrals of said first and second parts for said selected fractions.
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Abstract
A method of analyzing a signal representing a physical parameter to obtain information from said signal and to extrapolate information contained in said signal and/or to ignore an interfering component in part of said signal, said signal representing either only a first portion of a skew distribution, or a first portion of a skew distribution and a second portion containing an interfering component, in which the area of a skew distribution, preferably a lognormal distribution is measured. The method is particularly applicable to the measurement of cardiac output. Apparatus for carrying out the method is also disclosed.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method of analyzing a signal representing a physical parameter for at least one of the purposes:
- (i) to obtain information from said signal, (ii) to extrapolate information contained in said signal and (iii) to ignore an interfering component in part of said signal, said signal representing one of the group consisting of only a first portion of a skew distribution, and a first portion of a skew distribution, and a second portion containing said interfering component, said method comprising the steps of;
a) selecting two fractions of the maximum value of said signal in said first portion and selecting whether said fractions are to represent positions on said skew distribution having a positive or negative slope, said fractions being used to delineate between first and second parts of said skew distribution, said first and second parts being delineated to lie within said first portion of said skew distribution, b) determining the integrals of said first and second parts, and c) determining the integrals of said complete skew distribution using said determined integrals of said first and second parts and a predetermined relationship between the integral of a complete skew distribution and functions of integrals of said first and second parts for said selected fractions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
where A is the integral of said first part B is the integral of said second part α
is the integral of said complete skew distributionσ
is the standard deviation of the normal distribution from which the logarithmic transformation was obtained and which indicates the degree to which said distribution is skewFA is a first of said preselected fractions delineating said first and second parts FB is a second of said preselected fractions delineating said second part and any further part of said skew distribution φ
is the cumulative normal distribution functiont is time x is the signal value, and ±
determines whether said preselected fractions FA and FB are on a positive slope (−
) or on a negative slope (+).
- (i) to obtain information from said signal, (ii) to extrapolate information contained in said signal and (iii) to ignore an interfering component in part of said signal, said signal representing one of the group consisting of only a first portion of a skew distribution, and a first portion of a skew distribution, and a second portion containing said interfering component, said method comprising the steps of;
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12. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein values for the integral of complete skew distributions for different ratios of the integral of said first and second parts, for different fractions selected in said selecting step, and for different degrees of skewness are prestored in a look-up table, said step of determining the integral of said complete skew distribution comprising the step of calculating the ratio of the integral of said first and second parts, and looking-up the integral of said complete skew distribution using said selected fractions and the ratio calculated in said calculating steep.
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13. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said signal represents a spatial skew distribution for said physical parameter, said step of calculating the integral of said complete skew distribution providing a measure of the quantum of the spatially distributed said physical parameter.
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14. A method of measuring flow rate of a fluid comprising the steps of
a) adding a known quantity of a substance into said fluid at a point in time, b) measuring the quantity of said substance in said fluid at a point downstream to generate a signal, and c) analyzing said signal in accordance with the method of claim 1. -
15. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said substance is soluble in said fluid and the concentration of said substance in said fluid is measured at said downstream point.
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16. A method of determining the flow rate of a fluid comprising the steps of:
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a) adding a known quantity of a substance to said fluid at a point in time, b) measuring the quantity of said substance in said fluid at a point downstream to generate a distribution with respect to time, said distribution approximating either only a first portion of a skew distribution, or a first portion of a skew distribution and a second portion containing extraneous components, c) assuming said distribution can be approximated by a skew distribution and selecting two fractions of the maximum value of said signal in said first portion and selecting whether said fractions are to represent positions on said skew distribution having a positive or a negative slope, said fractions being used to delineate between first and second parts of said skew distribution, said first and second parts being delineated to lie within said first portion of said skew distribution, d) calculating the integrals of said first and second parts, e) determining the integral of the complete skew distribution using said calculated integrals of said first and second parts and a predetermined relationship between functions of the integrals of said first and second parts and the integral of said complete skew distribution for said selected fractions, and f) calculating the flow rate of said fluid from said known quantity of said substance and said integral of said complete skew distribution. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
where A is the integral of said first part B is the integral of said second part α
is the integral of said complete skew distributionσ
is the standard deviation of the normal distribution from which the logarithmic transformation was obtained and which indicates the degree to which said distribution is skewFA is a first of said preselected fractions delineating said first and second parts FB is a second of said preselected fractions delineating said second part and any further part of said skew distribution φ
is the cumulative normal distribution functiont is time x is the signal value, and ±
determines whether said preselected fractions FA and FB are on a positive slope (−
) or on a negative slope (+).
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25. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein values for the integrals of complete skew distributions for different ratios of the integrals of said first and second parts, for different said selected fractions, and for different degrees of skewness are prestored in a look-up table, said step of determining the integral of said complete skew distribution comprising the step of calculating the ratio of the integrals of said first and second parts, and looking-up the integral of said complete skew distribution using said selected fractions and said calculated ratio.
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26. Apparatus for analyzing a signal representing a physical parameter for at least one of the purposes:
- (i) to obtain information from said signal, (ii) to extrapolate information contained in said signal and (iii) to ignore an interfering component in part of said signal, said signal representing one of a group consisting of only a first portion of a skew distribution and a first portion of a skew distribution, and a second portion containing said interfering component, said system comprising;
a) means for selecting two fractions of the maximum value of said signal in said first portion and selecting whether said fractions are to represent positions on said skew distribution having a positive or a negative slope, said fractions being used to delineate between first and second parts of said skew distribution, said first and second parts being delineated to lie within said first portion of said skew distribution, b) means for determining the integrals of said first and second parts, and c) means for determining the integrals of said complete skew distribution using said determined integrals of said first and second parts and a predetermined relationship between the integral of a complete skew distribution and functions of integrals of said first and second parts for said selected fractions. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
where A is the integral of said first part B is the integral of said second part α
is the integral of said complete skew distributionσ
is the standard deviation of the normal distribution from which the logarithmic transformation was obtained and which indicates the degree to which said distribution is skewFA is a first of said preselected fractions delineating said first and second parts FB is a second of said preselected fractions delineating said second part and any further part of said skew distribution φ
is the cumulative normal distribution functiont is time x is the signal value, and ±
determines whether said preselected fractions FA and FB are on a positive slope (−
) or on a negative slope (+).
- (i) to obtain information from said signal, (ii) to extrapolate information contained in said signal and (iii) to ignore an interfering component in part of said signal, said signal representing one of a group consisting of only a first portion of a skew distribution and a first portion of a skew distribution, and a second portion containing said interfering component, said system comprising;
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31. Apparatus as claimed in claim 26 including a look-up table containing values for the integrals of complete skew distributions for different ratios of the integrals of said first and second parts, for different said selected fractions, and for different degrees of skewness, said means for determining the integral of said complete distribution comprising means for calculating the ratios of the integrals of said first and second parts, and means for looking-up the integral of said complete skew distribution using said selected fractions and said calculated ratio.
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32. Apparatus for determining the flow rate of a fluid comprising:
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a) sensor means for measuring the quantity of a substance in said fluid at a point downstream of where a known quantity said substance has been added to said fluid, the measurement generating a distribution with respect to time which approximates either only a first portion of a skew distribution, or a first portion of a skew distribution and a second portion containing extraneous components, b) means for selecting two fractions of the maximum value of said signal in said first portion and selecting whether said fractions are to represent positions on said skew distribution having a positive or a negative slope, said fractions being used to delineate between first and second parts of said skew distribution, said first and second parts being delineated to lie within said first portion of said skew distribution, c) means for calculating the integrals of said first and second parts, d) means for determining the integral of the complete skew distribution using said calculated integrals of said first and second parts and a predetermined relationship between functions of integrals of said first and second parts and the integral of said complete skew distribution for said selected fractions, and e) means for calculating the flow rate of said fluid from said known quantity of said substance and said integral of said complete skew distribution. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
where A is the integral of said first part B is the integral of said second part α
is the integral of said complete skew distributionσ
is the standard deviation of the normal distribution from which the logarithmic transformation was obtained and which indicates the degree to which said distribution is skewFA is a first of said preselected fractions delineating said first and second parts FB is a second of said preselected fractions delineating said second part and any further part of said skew distribution φ
is the cumulative normal distribution functiont is time x is the signal value, and ±
determines whether said preselected fractions FA and FB are on a positive slope (−
) or on a negative slope (+).
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38. Apparatus as claimed in claim 32 including a look-up table containing values for the integrals of complete skew distributions for different ratios of the integrals of said first and second parts, for different said selected fractions, and for different degrees of skewness, said means for determining the integral of said complete distribution comprising means for calculating the ratios of the integrals of said first and second parts, and means for looking-up the integral of said complete skew distribution using said selected fractions and said calculated ratio.
Specification