Reduced electrode electrocardiography system

• US 8,295,919 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2011
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spacelabs Healthcare Ltd. (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Spacelabs Healthcare LLC (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stewart, Donald-Bane
• Primary Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATTON, AMANDA K
• Application Number:
  US13/113,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20110288425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 600508-509, 600/512
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/28 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/308 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/327 Generation of artificial ECG signals based on measured signals, e.g. to compensate for missing leads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip

Abstract

Electrocardiographic (ECG) signals, such as the standard 12-lead, are synthesized from a novel reduced electrode set. Signals are received from a group of electrodes connected to predetermined locations on a human body and deriving at least one further ECG signal using predetermined transformation(s) on a set of ECG signals. This forms a desired set of signals. The group of electrodes may comprise the standard 12 lead electrode sites V2 and V5 plus one electrode positioned substantially level with V5 on the right anterior auxiliary line and a further electrode on each of the right hand side and left hand side of the body. In an alternative arrangement, the electrode position V2 is replaced by an electrode position Vc on the sternum directly between the standard electrode sites V1 and V2. Also disclosed is a method of improving accuracy of synthesized signals by detecting body posture and modifying the transformations.

Claims

1. A method of synthesizing electrocardiographic (ECG) signals comprising receiving signals from a first group of electrodes concurrently connected to predetermined locations on a human body to acquire a first set of ECG signals and deriving at least one further ECG signal by applying transformation(s) on said first set of ECG signals, or a subset thereof, to form a desired set of signals, wherein the first group of electrodes comprises a V5 12 lead electrode site, a V2 12 lead electrode site, at least one electrode positioned substantially level with V5 on the right anterior axillary line, at least one electrode positioned on a right hand side of the body and at least one electrode positioned on a left hand side of the body, wherein said ECG signals are synthesized from data obtained from less than ten electrode sites.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said electrodes on the right hand side and left hand side of the body are placed on the torso substantially level with the upper portion of the limbs.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrode sites are located at:

V2;

the standard 12 lead electrode site V2;

V5;

the standard 12 lead electrode site V5;

V5R;

level with V5 on the right anterior axillary line;

R;

anywhere in the region of the right hand side of the body, between the front upper chest above the level of the heart and the right arm, shoulder or hand; and

L;

anywhere in the region of the left hand side of the body, between the front upper chest above the level of the heart and the left arm, shoulder or hand.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrode sites are located at:

V2;

the standard 12 lead electrode site V2;

V5;

the standard 12 lead electrode site V5;

V5R;

level with V5 on the right anterior axillary line;

RC;

on the upper chest of the body, at the same height as the manubrium and on the right mid-clavicle line; and

LC;

on the upper chest of the body, at the same height as the manubrium and on the left mid-clavicle line.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of deriving an ECG signal from a temporary electrode that is not connected for the full duration the ECG measurement.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of defining a reference potential for the temporary electrode from one of the following options:

the electrical potential of an ECG electrode;

the electrical potential of a different temporary electrode or a potential formed by a combination of ECG electrode(s) and/or temporary electrode(s).

7. The method of claim 5 wherein at least one temporary electrode is located at any point on the right arm, shoulder or hand.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein at least one temporary electrode is located at any point on the left arm, shoulder or hand.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the temporary electrode(s) are connected at a different time from when the first set of ECG signals is acquired, or equivalently, activated temporarily, and the subject-specific transformations retrospectively calculated.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein a temporary electrode, after initial use, is used to perform functions other than that of supplying electrocardiogram signal data.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein an input connection to a measurement means or device used to obtain a signal from an ECG electrode(s) has a secondary use to obtain a signal from a temporary electrode.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of switching an electrode between separate modes of operation wherein in a first mode, the electrode measures an ECG signal and in a second mode, the electrode forms a reference electrical connection between a subject and an ECG measurement means.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of applying a plurality of electrodes on a subject'"'"'s body to enable the measurement of a set of ECG signals for that subject;

detecting subject'"'"'s body posture; and

selecting or modifying the set of transformations on the basis of the subject'"'"'s body posture.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein a posture of said body is detected by an accelerometer, tilt sensor or manual switch.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of calculating a simulation matrix for at least one temporary signal from the first set of data or a subset thereof;

applying a simulation matrix to the second set of ECG signals to generate a simulated temporary signal;

applying a fixed derivation matrix to the second data set plus the simulated signal to define an unmeasured ECG lead; and

adapting one or both of said matrices to compensate for subject specific variations in posture and movement.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising measuring the first set of ECG signals, processing said signals to derive a standard 12 lead ECG and displaying said standard 12 lead ECG in real time.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first set of ECG signals is recorded and stored for later processing to derive a standard 12 lead ECG.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein right and left sites comprise sites RC and LC which are placed at the same level as the manubrium on the right and left mid-clavicular lines respectively.

19. A storage device carrying program instructions for causing a general purpose microprocessor or digital signal processor circuit to implement a method as claimed in claim 1.