ECG electrode characterization and compensation

• US 7,245,961 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2004
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Simske, Steven J., Zhang, Tong, Blakley, Daniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Carl
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bertram; Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US10/894,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 600/481, 600/508, 600/509
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/276 Protection against electrode failure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor

Abstract

Systems, methodologies, media, and other embodiments associated with electrocardiogram electrode characterization and compensation are described. One exemplary system embodiment includes a characterization logic configured to generate signals designed to facilitate characterizing an electrocardiogram electrode. The characterization logic may also be configured to analyze signals produced in response to introducing the signals into a subject. The example system may also include a compensation logic configured to determine whether an electrode is performing in a desired manner and to selectively compensate for electrode performance.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a data processing device having logic elements provided therein as one of, or a combination of, circuit components, or as computer readable code stored on a processor readable media, said logic elements comprising;

a characterization logic configured to characterize a signal transferring property of a first electrode associated with an electrocardiogram (ECG) apparatus, the first electrode being configured to receive electrocardiac signals from a subject to be monitored by the electrocardiogram apparatus; and

a compensation logic operably connected to the characterization logic, the compensation logic being configured to manipulate electrocardiac signals received by the first electrode based, at least in part, on the characterization of the signal transferring property;

the characterization logic being configured to provide a set of characterizing signals to a second electrode configured to transmit the set of characterizing signals into the subject, the characterization logic being configured to receive through the first electrode a set of property revealing signals produced in response to the set of characterizing signals being transmitted into the subject;

the characterization logic being configured to configure an impedance transfer function logic with an impedance transfer function that characterizes a skin/electrode impedance associated with the first electrode;

the impedance transfer function logic being configured with data values representing a mathematical approximation of the impedance transfer function that characterizes the skin/electrode impedance associated with the first electrode;

and the compensation logic being configured to dynamically manipulate the electrocardiac signal by selectively providing the electrocardiac signal to a logic configured to selectively reconfigure the impedance transfer logic to add one or more of, a pole, and a zero to the impedance transfer function by manipulating a data value representing an additional term to the mathematical approximation of the impedance transfer function based, at least in part, on one or more of, an amplitude response of the impedance transfer function over a range of frequencies, and a frequency response of the impedance transfer function over a range of frequencies.

2. A system, comprising:

a data processing device having logic elements provided therein as one of, or a combination of, circuit components, or as computer readable code stored on a processor readable media, said logic elements comprising;

a characterization logic configured to characterize a signal transferring property of a first electrode associated with an electrocardiogram (ECG) apparatus, the first electrode being configured to receive electrocardiac signals from a subject to be monitored by the electrocardiogram apparatus; and

a compensation logic operably connected to the characterization logic, the compensation logic being configured to manipulate electrocardiac signals received by the first electrode based, at least in part, on the characterization of the signal transferring property;

the characterization logic being configured to provide a set of characterizing signals to a second electrode configured to transmit the set of characterizing signals into the subject, the characterization logic being configured to receive through the first electrode a set of property revealing signals produced in response to the set of characterizing signals being transmitted into the subject;

the characterization logic being configured to configure an impedance transfer function logic with an impedance transfer function that characterizes a skin/electrode impedance associated with the first electrode;

the impedance transfer function logic comprising a field programmable gate array (FPGA) configured to simulate the impedance transfer function;

and the compensation logic being configured to dynamically manipulate the electrocardiac signal by selectively providing the electrocardiac signal to a logic configured to selectively reconfigure the impedance transfer logic to add one or more of, a pole, and a zero to the impedance transfer function by reconfiguring the field programmable gate array based, at least in part, on one or more of, an amplitude response of the impedance transfer function over a range of frequencies, and a frequency response of the impedance transfer function over a range of frequencies.

3. A system comprising:

an electrocardiogram (ECG) apparatus having a plurality of associated electrodes; and

a data processing device having logic elements provided therein as one of, or a combination of, circuit components or as computer readable code stored on a processor readable media, said logic elements comprising;

a characterization logic configured to characterize signal transferring property of a first electrode associated with the electrocardiogram apparatus, the first electrode being configured to receive electrocardiac signals from a subject to be monitored by the electrocardiogram apparatus;

a compensation logic operably connected to the characterization logic, the compensation logic being configured to manipulate electrocardiac signals received by the first electrode based, at least in part, on the characterization of the signal transferring property;

the characterization logic being configured to provide a set of characterizing signals to a second electrode configured to transmit the set of characterizing signals into the subject, the characterization logic being configured to receive through the first electrode a set of property revealing signals produced in response to the set of characterizing signals being transmitted into the subject;

the characterization logic being configured to configure an impedance transfer function logic with an impedance transfer function that characterizes a skin/electrode impedance associated with the first electrode; and

a set of DC-coupled amplifiers operably connected to the first electrode and one or more additional electrodes associated with the electrocardiogram apparatus, the one or more additional electrodes being configured to receive electrocardiac signals from a heart to be monitored by the electrocardiogram apparatus, the set of DC-coupled amplifiers being configured to receive and manipulate the electrocardiac signals, the set of DC-coupled amplifiers being operably connected to a simulation logic configured to simulate AC-coupling between the set of DC-coupled amplifiers by applying a high pass filter operation to the electrocardiac signal.

4. A system, comprising:

a data processing device having logic elements provided therein as one of, or a combination of, circuit components, or as computer readable code stored on a processor readable media, said logic elements comprising;

a characterization logic configured to characterize a signal transferring property of a first electrode associated with an electrocardiogram (ECG) apparatus, the first electrode being configured to receive electrocardiac signals from a subject to be monitored by the electrocardiogram apparatus; and

a compensation logic operably connected to the characterization logic, the compensation logic being configured to manipulate electrocardiac signals received by the first electrode based, at least in part, on the characterization of the signal transferring property;

the characterization logic being configured to provide a set of characterizing signals to a second electrode configured to transmit the set of characterizing signals into the subject, the characterization logic being configured to receive through the first electrode a set of property revealing signals produced in response to the set of characterizing signals being transmitted into the subject;

the characterization logic being configured to configure an impedance transfer function logic with an impedance transfer function that characterizes a skin/electrode impedance associated with the first electrode;

and the compensation logic being configured to dynamically manipulate the electrocardiac signal by selectively providing the electrocardiac signal to a logic configured to selectively reconfigure the impedance transfer logic to add one or more of, a pole, and a zero to the impedance transfer function based, at least in part, on one or more of, an amplitude response of the impedance transfer function over a range of frequencies, and a frequency response at the impedance transfer function over a range of frequencies.

5. A system, comprising:

a data processing device having logic elements provided therein as one of, or a combination of, circuit components, or as computer readable code stored on a processor readable media, said logic elements comprising;

a characterization logic configured to characterize a signal transferring property of a first electrode associated with an electrocardiogram (ECG) apparatus, the first electrode being configured to receive electrocardiac signals from a subject to be monitored by the electrocardiogram apparatus; and

a compensation logic operably connected to the characterization logic, the compensation logic being configured to manipulate electrocardiac signals received by the first electrode based, at least in part, on the characterization of the signal transferring property;

the characterization logic being configured to provide a set of characterizing signals to a second electrode configured to transmit the set of characterizing signals into the subject, the characterization logic being configured to receive through the first electrode a set of property revealing signals produced in response to the set of characterizing signals being transmitted into the subject;

the characterization logic being configured to configure an impedance transfer function logic with an impedance transfer function that characterizes a skin/electrode impedance associated with the first electrode;

and the compensation logic being configured to dynamically manipulate the electrocardiac signal by manipulating one or more of, the phase of the electrocardiac signal, and the amplitude of the electrocardiac signal by an amount determined, at least in part, by an inverse corrective data derived from a transformed input data acquired during the characterizing of the signal transferring property.

6. The system of claim 5, the transformed input data comprising one or more of, a Fourier transformed input data, a wavelet transformed input data, or a Hilbert transformed input data.

7. A system, comprising:

a data processing device having logic elements provided therein as one of, or a combination of, circuit components, or as computer readable code stored on a processor readable media, said logic elements comprising;

a characterization logic configured to characterize a signal transferring property of a first electrode associated with an electrocardiogram (ECG) apparatus, the first electrode being configured to receive electrocardiac signals from a subject to be monitored by the electrocardiogram apparatus; and

a compensation logic operably connected to the characterization logic, the compensation logic being configured to manipulate electrocardiac signals received by the first electrode based, at least in part, on the characterization of the signal transferring property;

the characterization logic being configured to provide a set of characterizing signals to a second electrode configured to transmit the set of characterizing signals into the subject, the characterization logic being configured to receive through the first electrode a set of property revealing signals produced in response to the set of characterizing signals being transmitted into the subject;

the characterization logic being configured to configure an impedance transfer function logic with an impedance transfer function that characterizes a skin/electrode impedance associated with the first electrode;

and the compensation logic being configured to dynamically manipulate the electrocardiac signal by applying a set of impulse response filter coefficients to the electrocardiac signal to produce an inverse complex correction factor for one or more of, amplitude with respect to frequency, and phase with respect to frequency.

8. The system of claim 7, the impulse filter coefficients comprising one or more of, finite impulse response filter coefficients, or infinite impulse response filter coefficients.