Portable ECG monitor and method for atrial fibrillation detection
First Claim
1. A method of analyzing the cardiac rhythms of a patient to detect the presence of atrial fibrillation, the method comprising:
- measuring R—
R intervals between a plurality of QRS complexes of the patient, including present and preceding QRS complexes;
comparing the present R—
R interval to the preceding R—
R interval to result in a first ratio;
comparing the present R—
R interval to the second preceding R—
R interval to result in a second ratio;
comparing the first ratio and the second ratio to a validating threshold;
calculating a first average of R—
R intervals of the plurality of QRS complexes without including the present R—
R interval in the first average if the first ratio exceeds the validating threshold;
calculating the first average of R—
R intervals with inclusion of the present R—
R interval in the first average if the first ratio is less than or equal to the validating threshold;
calculating a second average of R—
R intervals of the plurality of QRS complexes without inclusion of the present R—
R interval in the second average if the second ratio exceeds the validating threshold;
calculating the second average of R—
R intervals with inclusion of the present R—
R interval in the second average if the second ratio is less than or equal to the validating threshold; and
determining the presence of an atrial fibrillation by analyzing the first and second averages.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for detecting an atrial fibrillation through monitoring the R—R intervals of a patient'"'"'s QRS complexes. Ratios of the current R—R interval are made to previous R—R intervals. Multiple moving averages are taken of the ratio results. The ratios are compared to a validating threshold and if the particular ratio is within a selected range, a moving average is calculated with inclusion of the present R—R interval. If the ratio is outside the range, a moving average is calculated without inclusion of the current R—R interval. The moving averages are combined and this difference average is compared to a trigger threshold. If the difference average exceeds the threshold, an atrial fibrillation is determined to exist, a memory trigger is provided, and the QRS complex data within a selected period of time about the atrial fibrillation event are recorded and removed from overwrite status in the memory. A reset threshold, differing from the trigger threshold, is used and if the difference average falls below the reset threshold, the method and apparatus are re-enabled to record a new AFIB event.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A method of analyzing the cardiac rhythms of a patient to detect the presence of atrial fibrillation, the method comprising:
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measuring R—
R intervals between a plurality of QRS complexes of the patient, including present and preceding QRS complexes;
comparing the present R—
R interval to the preceding R—
R interval to result in a first ratio;
comparing the present R—
R interval to the second preceding R—
R interval to result in a second ratio;
comparing the first ratio and the second ratio to a validating threshold;
calculating a first average of R—
R intervals of the plurality of QRS complexes without including the present R—
R interval in the first average if the first ratio exceeds the validating threshold;
calculating the first average of R—
R intervals with inclusion of the present R—
R interval in the first average if the first ratio is less than or equal to the validating threshold;
calculating a second average of R—
R intervals of the plurality of QRS complexes without inclusion of the present R—
R interval in the second average if the second ratio exceeds the validating threshold;
calculating the second average of R—
R intervals with inclusion of the present R—
R interval in the second average if the second ratio is less than or equal to the validating threshold; and
determining the presence of an atrial fibrillation by analyzing the first and second averages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of detecting atrial fibrillation in a patient, the method comprising:
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measuring R—
R intervals between a plurality of QRS complexes of the patient, including present and preceding QRS complexes;
forming a first ratio by dividing an R—
R interval into another R—
R interval in which one R—
R interval is the present interval and one R—
R interval is a preceding interval;
forming a second ratio by dividing an R—
R interval into another R—
R interval in which one R—
R interval is the present interval and one R—
R interval is a preceding interval different from the preceding interval used in the first ratio;
averaging a plurality of first ratios to form a first average;
averaging a plurality of second ratios to form a second average;
analyzing the difference between the first and second averages;
comparing the difference between the averages to a threshold to determine if an atrial fibrillation exists in the patient. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A portable apparatus for detecting atrial fibrillation in a patient, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of electrodes adapted for placement on the patient for developing electrical signals indicative of cardiac rhythms; and
a portable unit comprising a housing within which is located;
a battery for providing power to the portable unit;
means for measuring R—
R intervals of a plurality of QRS complexes of the electrical signals from the patient, including present and preceding QRS complexes;
means for forming a first ratio by dividing an R—
R interval into another R—
R interval in which one R—
R interval is the present interval and one R—
R interval is a preceding interval;
means for forming a second ratio by dividing an R—
R interval into another R—
R interval in which one R—
R interval is the present interval and one R—
R interval is a preceding interval different from the preceding interval used in the first ratio;
means for averaging a plurality of first ratios to form a first average;
means for averaging a plurality of second ratios to form a second average;
means for analyzing the difference between the first and second averages;
means for comparing the difference between the averages to a threshold to determine if an atrial fibrillation exists in the patient. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method for the detection of atrial fibrillation in a patient through analysis of electro-cardiac activity data, the method comprising:
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measuring a plurality of R—
R intervals between a plurality of QRS complexes of the patient, including present and preceding QRS complexes to thereby obtain a present R—
R interval and preceding R—
R intervals;
comparing the present R—
R interval with a plurality of different preceding R—
R intervals;
combining a plurality of such comparisons and providing a value representative of the combination;
comparing the value of the combination against a trigger threshold;
recording electro-cardiac activity data if the value exceeds the trigger threshold. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification