Devices and methods for heart rate measurement and wrist-watch incorporating same
First Claim
1. A method of measuring the heart rate of a human being from a stream of incoming ECG signals, the method including the steps of:
- selecting and then characterising a reference QRS complex from said stream of incoming ECG signals;
wherein said reference QRS complex is selected by adopting a local amplitude maximum as the R peak of said reference QRS complex, said local amplitude maximum being present within a predetermined time window and said predetermined time window being a time window within which at least one QRS complex must occur among said stream of incoming ECG signals under normal conditions, and said reference QRS complex is characterised by taking amplitude-time samples of said reference QRS complex;
seeking a first QRS complex from said stream of incoming ECG signals and characterising said first QRS complex by taking amplitude-time samples of said QRS complex for comparison of waveform similarity with said reference QRS complex, said first QRS complex being selected from said incoming ECG signals upon satisfying a first set of criteria of;
i. satisfying a threshold level of waveform similarity with said reference QRS complex,ii. having an amplitude peak within a prescribed range of time from said reference QRS, andiii. having its peak amplitude within a prescribed range of the peak amplitude of said reference QRS; and
evaluating a reference heart-rate from said first QRS complex and said reference QRS complex.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and device for heart rate measurement uses a stream of signals containing ECG signals to select a reference QRS complex according to a set of predetermined criteria and obtain electrical signal characteristics of the reference QRS complex. A first QRS complex is detected from the stream of signals and characterized in relation to the reference QRS in the time domain such that the first QRS complex meets another set of predetermined criteria, and satisfies a level of similarity with the reference QRS complex. An instantaneous heart rate of a subject is evaluated based on the first and the reference QRS complexes when the first and the second QRS complexes are sufficiently similar.
17 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of measuring the heart rate of a human being from a stream of incoming ECG signals, the method including the steps of:
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selecting and then characterising a reference QRS complex from said stream of incoming ECG signals;
wherein said reference QRS complex is selected by adopting a local amplitude maximum as the R peak of said reference QRS complex, said local amplitude maximum being present within a predetermined time window and said predetermined time window being a time window within which at least one QRS complex must occur among said stream of incoming ECG signals under normal conditions, and said reference QRS complex is characterised by taking amplitude-time samples of said reference QRS complex;seeking a first QRS complex from said stream of incoming ECG signals and characterising said first QRS complex by taking amplitude-time samples of said QRS complex for comparison of waveform similarity with said reference QRS complex, said first QRS complex being selected from said incoming ECG signals upon satisfying a first set of criteria of; i. satisfying a threshold level of waveform similarity with said reference QRS complex, ii. having an amplitude peak within a prescribed range of time from said reference QRS, and iii. having its peak amplitude within a prescribed range of the peak amplitude of said reference QRS; and evaluating a reference heart-rate from said first QRS complex and said reference QRS complex. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for measuring the heart-rate of a human being, the apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving, sampling and storing a stream of incoming ECG signals, means for detecting a local amplitude maximum from stored samples of said stream of incoming ECG signals within a predetermined time window, means for forming a reference QRS template using said local amplitude maximum as an R peak of said reference QRS complex, means for seeking a first QRS complex from said stream of incoming ECG signals, said first QRS complex satisfying a first set of criteria of; i. satisfying a threshold level of waveform similarity with said reference QRS complex, ii. having an amplitude peak occurring within a prescribed range of time from said reference QRS, and iii. having its peak amplitude occurring within a prescribed range of the peak amplitude of said reference QRS; and means for evaluating a reference heart-rate from said first QRS complex and said reference QRS complex. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification