Integrated vectorcardiogram system and method of use
First Claim
1. A vectorcardiogram device for measuring cardiac electrical activity of a patient, the device comprising:
- a pair of substantially orthogonal X-axis electrodes and a pair of substantially orthogonal Y-axis electrodes, the electrodes contained within a housing adapted to be in contact with a patient in a vectorcardiogram measurement position to sense cardiac electrical signals of the patient;
analog processing circuitry contained within the housing, the analog processing circuitry coupled to receive the cardiac electrical signals sensed by the pair of substantially orthogonal X-axis electrodes and the pair of substantially orthogonal Y-axis electrodes;
an analog-to-digital converter contained within the housing, the analog-to-digital converter coupled to the analog processing circuitry to convert the cardiac electrical signals to digital vectorcardiogram data;
a memory storing a reference cardiac vector, wherein the reference cardiac vector is based upon electrocardiogram (ECG) data and vectorcardiogram (VCG) data obtained during an initial placement of the vectorcardiogram device;
a digital signal processor contained within the housing, the digital signal processor coupled to receive the digital vectorcardiogram data from the analog-to-digital converter and to correct the digital vectorcardiogram data for a misplacement of the vectorcardiogram device after the initial placement using the reference cardiac vector to generate processed digital vectorcardiogram data; and
telemetry circuitry contained within the housing, the telemetry circuitry coupled to receive the processed digital vectorcardiogram data from the digital signal processor and to transmit the processed digital vectorcardiogram data to a remote device.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated vectorcardiogram (VCG) device having 3 pairs of electrodes placed in three orthogonal directions with the capability to continuously measure the electrical activity of the heart. All of the electrode pairs may be contained within a single miniaturized housing thereby eliminating the need for cumbersome wires required with current 12-lead ECG systems, while providing the same amount and quality of information as the 12-lead ECG system. The integrated VCG device also includes a communications function to allow the data collected by the electrodes to be transmitted wirelessly to a remote device, such as a pacemaker, to control its function or to a remote monitoring station for continuous real-time patient monitoring.
34 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A vectorcardiogram device for measuring cardiac electrical activity of a patient, the device comprising:
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a pair of substantially orthogonal X-axis electrodes and a pair of substantially orthogonal Y-axis electrodes, the electrodes contained within a housing adapted to be in contact with a patient in a vectorcardiogram measurement position to sense cardiac electrical signals of the patient; analog processing circuitry contained within the housing, the analog processing circuitry coupled to receive the cardiac electrical signals sensed by the pair of substantially orthogonal X-axis electrodes and the pair of substantially orthogonal Y-axis electrodes; an analog-to-digital converter contained within the housing, the analog-to-digital converter coupled to the analog processing circuitry to convert the cardiac electrical signals to digital vectorcardiogram data; a memory storing a reference cardiac vector, wherein the reference cardiac vector is based upon electrocardiogram (ECG) data and vectorcardiogram (VCG) data obtained during an initial placement of the vectorcardiogram device; a digital signal processor contained within the housing, the digital signal processor coupled to receive the digital vectorcardiogram data from the analog-to-digital converter and to correct the digital vectorcardiogram data for a misplacement of the vectorcardiogram device after the initial placement using the reference cardiac vector to generate processed digital vectorcardiogram data; and telemetry circuitry contained within the housing, the telemetry circuitry coupled to receive the processed digital vectorcardiogram data from the digital signal processor and to transmit the processed digital vectorcardiogram data to a remote device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for measuring cardiac electrical activity of a patient, the method comprising:
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positioning a vectorcardiogram device in an initial measurement position relative to a patient, wherein the vectorcardiogram device comprises; a pair of substantially orthogonal X-axis electrodes and a pair of substantially orthogonal Y-axis electrodes, the electrodes contained within a housing adapted to be in contact with a patient in a measurement position to sense cardiac electrical signals of the patient; analog processing circuitry contained within the housing, the analog processing circuitry coupled to receive the cardiac electrical signals sensed by the pair of substantially orthogonal X-axis electrodes and the pair of substantially orthogonal Y-axis electrodes; an analog-to-digital converter contained within the housing, the analog-to digital converter coupled to the analog processing circuitry to convert the cardiac electrical signals to digital vectorcardiogram data; a digital signal processor contained within the housing, the digital signal processor coupled to receive the digital vectorcardiogram data from the analog-to-digital converter to generate processed digital vectorcardiogram data; telemetry circuitry contained within the housing, the telemetry circuitry coupled to the receive the processed digital vectorcardiogram data from the digital signal processor and to transmit the data to a remote device; obtaining electrocardiogram (ECG) data and vectorcardiogram (VCG) data using the vectorcardiogram device positioned at the initial measurement position; generating a reference cardiac vector from the ECG data and VCG data obtained at the initial measurement position; storing the reference cardiac vector in a memory at the vectorcardiogram device; correcting, at the digital signal processor and using the reference cardiac vector, the digital vectorcardiogram data for a misplacement of the vectorcardiogram device after the initial placement of the vectorcardiogram device to generate the processed digital vectorcardiogram data; and transmitting the processed digital vectorcardiogram data to a remote device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system for measuring the cardiac electrical activity of a patient, the system comprising:
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a vectorcardiogram device for measuring cardiac electrical activity of a patient, the device comprising; a pair of substantially orthogonal X-axis electrodes, a pair of substantially orthogonal Y-axis electrodes and a first Z-axis electrode of a pair of substantially orthogonal Z-axis electrodes, the electrodes contained within a housing adapted to be in contact with a patient in a vectorcardiogram measurement position to sense cardiac electrical signals of the patient; analog processing circuitry contained within the housing, the analog processing circuitry coupled to receive the cardiac electrical signals sensed by the pair of substantially orthogonal X-axis electrodes, the pair of substantially orthogonal Y-axis electrodes and the first Z-axis electrode of the pair of substantially orthogonal Z-axis electrodes; a second Z-axis electrode of the pair of substantially orthogonal Z-axis electrodes adapted to be in contact with the patient in a vectorcardiogram measurement position and coupled to the analog processing circuitry, the second Z-axis electrode to sense cardiac electrical signals of the patient and the analog processing circuitry to receive the cardiac electrical signals from the second Z-axis electrode; an analog-to-digital converter contained within the housing, the analog-to-digital converter coupled to the analog processing circuitry to convert the cardiac electrical signals to digital vectorcardiogram data; a memory storing a reference cardiac vector, wherein the reference cardiac vector is based upon electrocardiogram (ECG) data and vectorcardiogram (VCG) data obtained during an initial placement of the vectorcardiogram device; a digital signal processor contained within the housing, the digital signal processor coupled to receive the digital vectorcardiogram data from the analog-to-digital converter and to correct the digital vectorcardiogram data for a misplacement of the vectorcardiogram device after the initial placement, using the reference cardiac vector, to generate processed digital vectorcardiogram data; telemetry circuitry contained within the housing, the telemetry circuitry coupled to receive the processed digital vectorcardiogram data from the digital signal processor; a remote device in communication with the telemetry circuitry of the vectorcardiogram device; and a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) pacemaker in communication with the telemetry circuitry of the vectorcardiogram device.
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Specification