Early warning apparatus for acute Myocardial Infarction in the first six hours of pain

• US 6,339,720 B1
• Filed: 09/20/1999
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arturo Sesana, Fernando Anzellini, Mario Gongora
• Original Assignee: Arturo Sesana, Fernando Anzellini, Mario Gongora
• Inventors: Gongora, Mario, Sesana, Arturo, Anzellini, Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US09/399,320
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 600/517, 600/516, 600/519, 600/509
• US Class Current: 600/517
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/358 Detecting ST segments

Abstract

A portable device (8) for recognizing Acute Myocardial Infarction by the patient himself without the help of medical doctors or technicians is described. The invention performs a real-time analysis of the ST segment (9) in an ambulatory electrocardiographic measurement environment to help the patient decide by himself that he is suffering an Acute Myocardial Infarct. The device (8) is capable of warning the user that he/she may be suffering a heart attack when the ST segment (9) is found to be depressed or elevated. The CARDIOST features a simple-to-use portable electrocardiographic amplifier (15) and a microcontroller unit (17) to analyze the ST segment (9) on the signal received from the electrocardiographic amplifier (15). With a software embedded in the microcontoller unit (17) the analysis of the ST segment (9) delivers the diagnosis to the patient with a visual and acoustic alarm (18,19,20,21) representing low, medium or high risk, depending on the status of the ST segment (9) shift so that he can seek medical treatment for thrombolisys or any other treatment currently available and influenced by early diagnosis within 4-6 hours without misinterpreting subjective chest pain symptoms, this being a worldwide medical problem since Acute Myocardial Infarction is the leading cause of mortality in the world.

Claims

1. A method for self-diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction at the moment of chest pain indicating ischemic activity for an early diagnosis, in the first four to six hours of said acute myocardial infarction to determine with a high degree of effectiveness when an artery of the heart is acutely obstructed by trombus or rupture of atherosclerotic plaque related to said ischemic activity by means of a device attached with a negative wire to the patient'"'"'s right armpit, a positive/negative wire attached to the patient'"'"'s left armpit and a positive wire attached to the lower part of the patient'"'"'s abdomen including the hipogastrium, and further including positive and negative electrodes placed in a V4 position at the 6th to 8th intercostal space along the midclavicular line, where the said electrodes may be placed against the skin of the patient without any gel or conductive substance, wherein said device further includes an analog to digital converter and a microcontroller, the method comprising;

a) sensing a shift of st segment below or above a baseline, wherein a green light alarm is generated by said device if said shift is between 0-1 millimeters, or 0-100 microvolts, in absolute value and a yellow light alarm is generated by said device if said shift is between 1-2 millimeters, or 100-200 microvolts, in absolute value and a red light alarm is generated by said device if said shift is greater than 2 millimeters, or greater than 200 microvolts, in absolute value wherein said green alarm indicates low risk, said yellow alarm indicates medium risk, and said red alarm indicates high risk for said acute myocardial infarction of the subendocardial type;

b) wherein said analog to digital converter digitizes the patient'"'"'s ECG signal and inputs said digitized ECG signal into said microcontroller in real time, wherein said microcontroller processes said signal and senses said shift of st segment and further triggers said alarms.

2. A method for diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction by a device capable of sensing a patient'"'"'s ECG waveform and emitting an audible and visual alarm comprising;

a) measuring a positive or negative st segment baseline shift of a patient'"'"'s ECG waveform starting at a j point which indicates part of said ECG waveform,

b) detecting either said positive or said negative shift and sensing said j point as the point where the st segment begins, said j point being measured in real time, wherein said device emits audible and green alarms if said j point of said st segment is between 0-1 millimeters, or 100 microvolts, in absolute value, to indicate subepicardial or subendocardial ischemia where there is a low risk of acute myocardial infarction, and wherein said device emits audible and yellow alarms if said j point of said st segment is between 1-2 millimeters or 100-200 microvolts, in absolute value, to indicate subepicardial or subendocardial ischemia where there is a medium risk for acute myocardial infarction, and wherein said device emits audible and red alarms if said j point of said st segment is 2 millimeters or over, or over 200 microvolts, in absolute value, to indicate subepicardial or subendocardial ischemia where there is a high risk for acute myocardial infarction.