Systems and methods for employing an FFT to distinguish R-waves from T-waves using an implantable medical device

• US 7,813,791 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boileau, Peter, Gill, Jong, Bornzin, Gene A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): MALAMUD, DEBORAH LESLIE
• Application Number:
  US11/841,350
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 600508-509, 600/515, 600/521, 607 1- 2, 128/899, 128/920, 128923-924
• US Class Current: 600/521
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/363 Detecting tachycardia or bradycardia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3621 for treating or preventing abnormally high heart rate

Abstract

A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) converts time-varying event waveforms into the frequency domain waveforms to thereby decompose the events into their spectral components, which are analyzed to distinguish R-waves from T-waves. In some embodiments, the FFT is only activated if a ventricular tachyarrhythmia is already indicated. For example, an initial ventricular rate may be derived from a ventricular IEGM based on all events detected therein. The initial ventricular rate is compared against one or more thresholds representative of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and/or ventricular fibrillation (VF) to determine if VT/VF is indicated. If so, the FFT is activated to distinguish R-waves from T-waves and, in particular, to detect and eliminate T-wave oversensing. Then, the ventricular rate is re-determined based only on the rate of true R-waves. Therapy is delivered if VT/VF is still detected.

Claims

1. A method for use by an implantable medical device for implant within a patient for distinguishing cardiac events sensed by the device, said method comprising:

sensing time-varying electrical cardiac signals within the patient using the device;

identifying time-varying ventricular electrical cardiac event waveforms therein using the device;

determining an initial ventricular rate based on all ventricular event waveforms detected within the time-varying signal;

detecting a possible ventricular tachyarrhythmia within the patient based on a ventricular rate derived from all ventricular events within the time-varying signal by comparing the initial ventricular rate against upper and lower ventricular fibrillation (VF) thresholds;

if the initial ventricular rate is between the upper and lower VF thresholds, converting the time-varying event waveforms using the device into frequency-domain waveforms to detect spectral components of the events; and

distinguishing different types of ventricular cardiac events corresponding to individual heartbeats based on the spectral components of the events.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing electrical cardiac signals within the patient includes sensing an intracardiac electrogram (IEGM).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying ventricular event waveforms within the cardiac electrical signals includes filtering the cardiac signals using a tachycardia filter configured to pass cardiac signals appropriate for the detection of tachycardia and identifying any events within the tachycardia-filtered signals as being ventricular events.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the device includes a time-domain to frequency-domain conversion device and wherein converting the time-varying event waveforms into frequency-domain waveforms includes applying the ventricular event waveforms to the time-domain to frequency-domain conversion device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the time-domain to frequency-domain conversion device is a Fourier transform device.

6. The method of claim 1 further including:

re-determining the ventricular rate based only on ventricular depolarization events (R-waves); and

delivering defibrillation therapy if the re-determined ventricular rate exceeds the lower VF threshold.

7. The method of claim 6 further including:

comparing the re-determined ventricular rate against a ventricular tachycardia (VT) threshold; and

delivering antitachycardia pacing (ATP) therapy if the re-determined ventricular exceeds the VT threshold but does not exceed the lower VF threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein distinguishing ventricular depolarization events (R-waves) from ventricular repolarization events (T-waves) based on the spectral components of the events includes:

determining an amount of power within an individual cardiac event waveform at frequencies exceeding a predetermined threshold frequency based on the frequency-domain waveform of the event; and

identifying the cardiac event as being a depolarization event if the amount of power above the frequency threshold exceeds a power threshold indicative of a depolarization event and identifying the cardiac event as being a repolarization event otherwise.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the frequency threshold is set between 10 Hz and 25 Hz.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein distinguishing ventricular depolarization events (R-waves) from ventricular repolarization events (T-waves) based on the spectral components of the events includes:

determining an amount of power within an individual cardiac event waveform at an individual test frequency based on the frequency-domain waveform of the event; and

identifying the cardiac event as being a depolarization event if the amount of power at the test frequency exceeds a power threshold indicative of a depolarization event and identifying the cardiac event as being a repolarization event otherwise.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the test frequency is set between 25 Hz and 90 Hz.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the test frequency is about 50 Hz.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein distinguishing ventricular depolarization events (R-waves) from ventricular repolarization events (T-waves) based on the spectral components of the events includes:

determining an amount of power within the cardiac event waveform within a predetermined frequency band based on the frequency-domain waveform of the event; and

identifying the cardiac event as being a depolarization event if the amount of power within the frequency band exceeds a power threshold indicative of a depolarization event and identifying the cardiac event as being a repolarization event otherwise.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the predetermined frequency band extends from about 30 Hz to about 60 Hz.

15. The method of claim 1 further including an initial step of determining comparison values for use in distinguishing different types of ventricular cardiac events based on the spectral components of the events.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the comparison values include one or more of frequency threshold values and power threshold values.

17. The method of claim 1:

wherein the device includes a linear discriminant analyzer (LDA) trained to distinguish depolarization events (R-waves) from repolarization events (T-waves); and

wherein distinguishing ventricular depolarization events (R-waves) from ventricular repolarization events (T-waves) based on the spectral components of the events includes applying the frequency domain waveforms of the events to the LDA.

18. The method of claim 17 further including the initial step of training the LDA to distinguish depolarization events (R-waves) from repolarization events (T-waves) within the patient.

19. A method for use by an implantable medical device for implant within a patient for distinguishing cardiac events sensed by the device, said method comprising:

sensing time-varying electrical cardiac signals within the patient using the device;

identifying time-varying ventricular electrical cardiac event waveforms therein using the device;

converting the time-varying event waveforms using the device into frequency-domain waveforms to detect spectral components of the events;

distinguishing different types of ventricular cardiac events corresponding to individual heartbeats based on the spectral components of the events to distinguish ventricular depolarization events (R-waves) from ventricular repolarization events (T-waves);

detecting a quiescent period within the patient;

detecting depolarization events (R-waves) and repolarization events (T-waves) within the quiescent period and power values associated therewith; and

determining suitable comparison values based on characteristics of the depolarization events (R-waves) and repolarization events (T-waves) within the quiescent period and their power values.

20. A method for use by an implantable medical device for implant within a patient for distinguishing cardiac events sensed by the device, said method comprising:

sensing time-varying electrical cardiac signals within the patient using the device;

identifying time-varying ventricular electrical cardiac event waveforms therein using the device;

converting the time-varying event waveforms using the device into frequency-domain waveforms to detect spectral components of the events;

distinguishing different types of ventricular cardiac events corresponding to individual heartbeats based on the spectral components of the events to distinguish ventricular depolarization events (R-waves) from ventricular repolarization events (T-waves); and

detecting the oversensing of ventricular repolarization events (T-waves) within a cardiac signal.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein detecting the oversensing of ventricular repolarization events (T-waves) includes:

identifying a sequence of alternating depolarization events (R-waves) and repolarization events (T-waves) in a cardiac signal; and

associating the sequence of alternating depolarization events (R-waves) and repolarization events (T-waves) in the cardiac signal with T-wave oversensing.

22. An implantable medical device for implant within a patient, said device comprising:

a cardiac signal sensing system operative to sense time-varying electrical cardiac signals within the patient;

an event identification unit operative to identifying time-varying ventricular electrical cardiac event waveforms within the sensed signals;

a spectral component detection unit operative to convert the time-varying event waveforms into frequency-domain waveforms to detect spectral components of the events;

a spectral component-based discriminator operative to distinguish ventricular depolarization events (R-waves) from ventricular repolarization events (T-waves) based on the spectral components of the events; and

an oversensing detection unit operative to detect the oversensing of ventricular repolarization events (T-waves) within the cardiac signals.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein the spectral component detection unit includes an FFT device.

24. The system device of claim 22 wherein the spectral component-based discriminator includes a power-based analyzer operative to distinguish ventricular depolarization events (R-waves) from ventricular repolarization events (T-waves) based on power values derived from the spectral components of the events.

25. The device of claim 22 wherein the spectral component-based discriminator includes a linear discriminant analyzer (LDA) operative to distinguish ventricular depolarization events (R-waves) from ventricular repolarization events (T-waves).

26. A method for use by an implantable medical device for implant within a patient for distinguishing cardiac events sensed by the device, said method comprising:

sensing time-varying electrical cardiac signals within the patient using the device;

identifying time-varying ventricular electrical cardiac event waveforms therein;

converting the time-varying event waveforms into frequency-domain waveforms to detect spectral components of the events;

distinguishing ventricular depolarization events (R-waves) from ventricular repolarization events (T-waves) based on the spectral components of the events; and

detecting the oversensing of ventricular repolarization events (T-waves) within the cardiac signals following the distinguishing of ventricular depolarization events (R-waves) from ventricular repolarization events (T-waves).