Electrocardiogram systems and related methods

• US 9,872,628 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2015
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Sweeney, Elizabeth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Erica
• Application Number:
  US14/791,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20170000370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/066 Superposing sensor position on an image of the patient, e.g. obtained by ultrasound or x-ray imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/067 using accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6806 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/684 Indicating the position of the sensor on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4227 characterised by straps, belts, cuffs or braces
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to electrocardiogram systems and systems of using electrocardiogram systems. The electrocardiogram systems are configured to detect at least two electrical potentials (e.g., a first electrical potential and a second electrical potential) at two or more surfaces of a subject (e.g., a first surface and a second surface). In an embodiment, the electrocardiogram system includes at least one position sensor configured to detect the position of the at least one electrode relative to a surface of the subject.

Claims

1. A method of using an electrocardiogram system, the method comprising:

contacting a first surface of a subject with at least one electrode of at least one glove that is worn by an individual other than the subject;

with the at least one electrode, detecting a first electrical potential on the first surface of the subject;

storing the detected first electrical potential in memory;

after storing the detected first electrical potential in the memory, contacting a second surface of the subject with the at least one electrode of the at least one glove;

with the at least one electrode, detecting a second electrical potential on the second surface of the subject;

storing the detected second electrical potential in the memory; and

with a processor, determining a voltage between the detected first electrical potential and the detected second electrical potential.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

detecting the first electrical potential on the first surface of the subject includes detecting a plurality of first electrical potentials on the first surface of the subject; and

storing the detected first electrical potential in the memory includes storing at least some of the detected plurality of first electrical potentials in memory.

3. The method of claim 2, further including, with the processor:

selecting an antecedent first electrical potential and a subsequent first electrical potential from the detected plurality of first electrical potentials, wherein the at least one electrode detects the antecedent first electrical potential at an antecedent time and the subsequent first electrical potential at a subsequent time;

selecting a target time, the target time between the antecedent time and the subsequent time; and

predicting an interpolated first electrical potential at the target time, the interpolated first electrical potential is predicted based on the antecedent first electrical potential and the subsequent first electrical potential.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting a target time includes:

determining another time, the another time when the detected second electrical potential is detected by the at least one electrode or an interpolated second electrical potential at least partially predicted from the detected second electrical potential is detected; and

selecting the target time to be substantially the same as or a specified number of heartbeats before or after the another time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

detecting the second electrical potential on the second surface of the subject includes detecting a plurality of second electrical potentials on the second surface of the subject; and

storing the detected second electrical potential in the memory includes storing at least some of the detected plurality of second electrical potentials in memory.

6. The method of claim 5, further including, with the processor:

selecting an antecedent second electrical potential and a subsequent second electrical potential from the detected plurality of second electrical potentials, wherein the at least one electrode detected the antecedent second electrical potential at an antecedent time and the subsequent second electrical potential at a subsequent time;

selecting a target time, the target time between the antecedent time and the subsequent time; and

predicting an interpolated second electrical potential detected at the target time, the interpolated second electrical potential is predicted based on the antecedent second electrical potential and the subsequent second electrical potential.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein selecting a target time includes:

determining another time, the another time when the detected first electrical potential is detected by the at least one electrode or an interpolated first electrical potential at least partially predicted from the detected first electrical potential is detected; and

selecting the target time to be substantially the same as or a specified number of heartbeats before or after the another time.

8. The method of claim 1, further including, with the processor, determining a heartbeat or a heart rate from the detected first electrical potential, the detected second electrical potential, or the voltage between the detected first electrical potential and the detected second electrical potential.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein contacting a second surface of the subject with the at least one electrode of the at least one glove includes contacting a surface of the subject with the at least one electrode that is on a distinctly different portion of the subject than the first surface.

10. The method of claim 1, further including,

after storing the detected second electrical potential in the memory, contacting a third surface of the subject with the at least one electrode of the at least one glove;

with the at least one electrode, detecting a third electrical potential on the third surface of the subject; and

storing the detected third electrical potential in the memory.

11. The method of claim 10, further including,

with the processor, determining a composite electrical potential from an average electrical potential of two of the detected first, second, or third electrical potentials;

and

with the processor, determining a voltage between the composite electrical potential and the detected first, second, or third electrical potentials that was not used to determine the composite electrical potential.

12. The method of claim 10, further including, with the processor, determining a voltage between the detected third electrical potential and at least one of the detected first electrical potential or the detected second electrical potential.

13. The method of claim 1, further including,

estimating an undetected electrical potential of a surface of the subject using at least one of historical data of the subject or population data;

and

with the processor, determining a voltage between the undetected electrical potential and at least one of the detected first electrical potential or the detected second electrical potential.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a voltage between the detected first electrical potential and the detected second electrical potential includes adjusting data associated with at least one of the detected first electrical potential or the detected second electrical potential to compensate for the detected first electrical potential and the detected second electrical potential being detected during different portions of a heartbeat of the subject or exhibiting different heart rates.

15. The method of claim 1, further including, with the processor, generating a report including the voltage determined between the detected first electrical potential and the detected second electrical potential.

16. The method of claim 15, further including comparing data of the report with at least one of historical data of the subject or population data to determine at least one characteristic of a heart of the subject.

17. The method of claim 1, further including, with at least one position sensor, detecting one or more positions of the at least one electrode relative to the subject.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting one or more positions of the at least one electrode relative to the subject includes detecting a skin topography of a surface of the subject using the at least one position sensor.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting one or more positions of the at least one electrode relative to the subject includes detecting bone or tissue density using the at least one position sensor.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting one or more positions of the at least one electrode relative to the subject includes emitting and detecting sound waves to determine a position of the at least one electrode relative to the subject.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting one or more positions of the at least one electrode relative to the subject includes detecting blood vessels using the at least one position sensor.

22. The method of claim 17, further including,

with the processor, comparing the detected one or more positions of the at least one electrode relative to the subject with one or more suitable surfaces stored on the memory, the one or more suitable surfaces include at least one of a surface that minimizes or prevents artifacts, one or more preferred surfaces, or one or more preferred surface characteristics;

with the processor, determining if the at least one electrode is at or near the one or more preferred surfaces; and

with a user interface of the electrocardiogram system, providing an indication regarding a position of the at least one electrode relative to the one or more suitable surfaces.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein providing an indication regarding a position of the at least one electrode relative to the one or more suitable surfaces includes at least one of providing an audio indication or providing a visual indication that the at least one electrode is at or near the one or more suitable surfaces.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the visual indication includes one or more lights emitted from the user interface.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein providing an indication regarding a position of the at least one electrodes relative to the one or more suitable surfaces includes a tactile indication device including one or more of a tightening mechanism, a vibrating element, or a plurality of selectively deployable nodes.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the user interface includes a tactile indication device including one or more of a tightening mechanism, a vibrating element, or a plurality of selectively deployable nodes.

27. The method of claim 17, further including, with the processor, generating a report including,

the voltage determined between the detected first electrical potential and the detected second electrical potential;

and

the detected one or more positions of the at least one electrode relative to the subject.

28. The method of claim 1, further including, with a contact sensor, determining a quality of contact between the at least one electrode and at least one of the first surface or the second surface of the subject.

29. A system for capturing electrocardiogram readings, the system comprising:

at least one glove including at least one electrode, the at least one electrode configured to,

contact a first surface of a subject and detect a first electrical potential on the first surface; and

contact a second surface of the subject and detect a second electrical potential on the second surface at some time after the first electrical potential was detected;

wherein the at least one electrode is only positioned,

on or partially in an exterior surface of the at least one glove;

or

in the at least one glove and positioned sufficiently proximate to the exterior surface of the at least one glove to detect a first electrical potential on the first surface of the subject when the exterior surface of the at least one glove contacts the first surface of the subject;

memory operably coupled to the at least one electrode, the memory configured to receive and store therein,

the detected first electrical potential; and

the detected second electrical potential; and

a processor operably coupled to the memory, the processor configured to,

determine a voltage between the detected first electrical potential and the detected second electrical potential; and

generate a report including the voltage.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the at least one electrode is further configured to detect a plurality of first electrical potentials on the first surface.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to:

select an antecedent first electrical potential and a subsequent first electrical potential from the detected plurality of first electrical potentials, wherein the at least one electrode detected the antecedent first electrical potential at an antecedent time and the subsequent first electrical potential as a subsequent time;

select a target time between the antecedent time and the subsequent time; and

predict an interpolated first electrical potential detected at the target time, the interpolated first electrical potential is predicted based on the antecedent first electrical potential and the subsequent first electrical potential.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine an another time, the another time being when the detected second electrical potential is detected by the at least one electrode or an interpolated second electrical potential at least partially predicted from the detected second electrical potential is detected; and

select the target time to be substantially the same as or a specified number of heartbeats before or after the another time.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the at least one electrode is further configured to detect a plurality of second electrical potentials on the second surface.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the processor is further configured to:

select an antecedent second electrical potential and a subsequent second electrical potential from the detected plurality of second electrical potentials, wherein the at least one electrode detected the antecedent second electrical potential at an antecedent time and the subsequent second electrical potential as a subsequent time;

select a target time between the antecedent time and the subsequent time; and

predict an interpolated second electrical potential detected at the target time, the interpolated second electrical potential is predicted based on the antecedent second electrical potential and the subsequent second electrical potential.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a heartbeat or heart rate from the detected first electrical potential, the detected second electrical potential, of the voltage.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein:

the at least one electrode includes a plurality of electrodes; and

the at least one glove includes a plurality of fingers each of which includes at least one of the plurality of electrodes therein or thereon.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein at least one of the plurality of electrodes is coupled to at least one of a distal phalanx, a middle phalanx, or a proximal phalanx of one of the plurality of fingers.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein at least one of the plurality of electrodes is coupled to a palm of the at least one glove.

39. The system of claim 29, wherein the at least one electrode is at least partially enclosed in the at least one glove.

40. The system of claim 29, wherein the at least one glove includes at least one position sensor configured to detect one or more positions of the at least one electrode relative to the subject.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the at least one position sensor includes at least one optical sensor, the at least one optical sensor including a camera or an infrared detector.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein:

the at least one position sensor includes a micro-impulse radar configured to detect one or more internal structures or one or more external structures of the subject; and

the processor is further configured to determine a position of the at least one electrode relative to the subject at least partially based on the detected one or more internal structures or the detected one or more external structures.

43. The system of claim 40, wherein:

the at least one position sensor includes at least one topography sensor configured to detect a skin topography of the first surface and the second surface of the subject; and

the processor is further configured to determine a position of the at least one electrode relative to the subject at least partially based on the skin topography.

44. The system of claim 40, wherein:

the at least one position sensor includes at least one acoustic sensor configured to detect a bone density or a tissue density of a surface of the subject using sound waves; and

the processor is further configured to determine a position of the at least one electrode relative to the subject at least partially based on the detected bone density or the detected tissue density.

45. The system of claim 40, wherein:

the at least one position sensor includes at least one sensor configured to detect blood vessels of a surface of the subject; and

the processor is further configured to determine a position of the at least one electrode relative to the subject at least partially based on the detected blood vessels.

46. The system of claim 40, wherein the at least one glove includes at least one finger and the at least one position sensor is positioned in at least the at least one finger.

47. The system of claim 40, wherein the at least one glove includes a palm and the at least one position sensor is positioned in at least the palm of the at least one glove.

48. The system of claim 40, further including a user interface operably coupled to the processor, the user interface configured to indicate if the at least one electrode is positioned at or near one or more preferred surfaces of the subject for detecting electrical potential.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein

the memory further includes the one or more preferred surfaces or one or more preferred surface characteristics stored therein;

the processor is further configured to compare the one or more detected positions of the at least one electrode relative to the subject with the one or more preferred surfaces or one or more preferred surface characteristics and determine if the at least one electrode is at or near the one or more preferred surfaces; and

the user interface is further configured to indicate if the at least one electrode is positioned at or near one or more preferred surfaces responsive to the comparison by the processor.

50. The system of claim 48, wherein the user interface includes one or more of a tightening mechanism, a vibrating elements, a selectively deployable nodes, a light affixed to a surface of the at least one glove, or an audible indicator configured to produce one or more tones.

51. The system of claim 40, wherein the processor is further configured to associate the detected first electrical potential and the detected second electrical potential with a corresponding one of the detected one or more positions of the at least one electrode.

52. The system of claim 40, wherein,

the memory includes a database of reference data including biological structures capable of serving as reference points for determining a position of the at least one electrode relative to the subject;

and

the processor is further configured to compare the one or more detected positions of the at least one electrode detected by the at least one position sensor with the reference data in the database to determine the position of the at least one electrode relative the subject.

53. The system of claim 29, wherein:

the memory includes at least one of historical patient data or population data stored thereon; and

the processor is further configured to compare data of the report with at least one of the historical patient data or the population data.

54. The system of claim 29, wherein the at least one glove includes at least one contact sensor configured to determine the quality of the electrical contact between the at least one glove and a surface the subject.