Electrocardiographic computer
First Claim
1. A dynamic multispeed ECG computer for reproducing ECG information contained on a recording medium recorded at a particular speed, including:
- first means for moving the recording medium past at least one fixed predetermined real time readout position and at least one fixed predetermined high speed readout position,second means coupled to the first means for controlling the first means to move the recording medium at a selected one of a plurality of speeds including the particular speed and including more than one speed appreciably greater than the particular speed, to provide real time and high speed playbacks respectively of the recorded information,third means located at the fixed predetermined high speed readout position for reproducing the recorded information when the first means moves the recording medium to provide high speed playback,fourth means located at the fixed predetermined real time readout position for reproducing the recorded information when the first means moves the recording medium to provide real time playback,fifth means coupled to the third means and responsive to the reproduced signals at high speed playback for producing output signals in accordance with the trend of particular characteristics of the ECG complexes at high speed playback,sixth means coupled to the third means and responsive to the reproduced signals for producing control signals indicative of the occurrence of the predetermined events within the characteristics of the ECG complexes, andseventh means coupled to the sicth means and the second means and responsive to the control signals provided by the sixth means for controlling the second means to move the recording medium at the real time playback speed upon the occurrence of the predetermined events within the characteristics of the ECG complexes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-speed ECG magnetic tape scanning device for processing and observing in a relatively short interval of time large quantities of ECG signals from two pairs of ECG leads. The ECG information is recorded on a miniature recorder which the patient carries to record the information for a long period of time, such as 24 hours. The recorder includes a built-in clock with a visible display. The recorder also includes an event marker, which is activated by the patient when the patient experiences an event. The play-back of the ECG information is in real time or at multiple high speed play-back speeds of 30, 60 and 120 times real time. During play-back at high speed, a multi-speed multi-channel paper writer reproduces analog trend data, digital printed data and event marking. The trend information is usually heart rate and ST segment level, so as to produce a scanning of an entire 24 hour information tape in as short a period as 12 minutes. The tape scanning device can run on trend to print out trend to the end of the tape, and then stop automatically. Alternatively, the tape scanning device can run on trend to the end of the tape and then automatically cycle to the beginning of the tape to print-out trend and periodically slow the tape down to real time for the print-out of predetermined events in real time. After each print-out in real time, the playback always goes back to the originally selected trend speed for the continuation of the trend print-out. Various short events may be used to slow the read-out to real time, such as an event marking on the tape which has been activated by the patient. Also, any preselected abnormalities in heart function such as abnormal VE'"'"'s, SVE'"'"'s, ST level, rapid heart beat, slow heart rate, etc., may be used to print-out in real time. An arrhythmia computer detects and digitally displays the number of premature ventricular contractions (VE) and superventricular ectopic beats (SVE) and actuates the event markers on a paper writer when the arrhythmia occurrences exceed a predetermined number of occurrences during a predetermined time interval. The event marking may also be used to control the slow down during trend read-out to print out the ECG signals in real time to show the arrhythmia occurrences. The arrhythmia computer includes the ability to select one or a number of parameters to determine the occurrence of an arrhythmia. These parameters may be paired beats, prematurity, width or amplitude.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. A dynamic multispeed ECG computer for reproducing ECG information contained on a recording medium recorded at a particular speed, including:
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first means for moving the recording medium past at least one fixed predetermined real time readout position and at least one fixed predetermined high speed readout position, second means coupled to the first means for controlling the first means to move the recording medium at a selected one of a plurality of speeds including the particular speed and including more than one speed appreciably greater than the particular speed, to provide real time and high speed playbacks respectively of the recorded information, third means located at the fixed predetermined high speed readout position for reproducing the recorded information when the first means moves the recording medium to provide high speed playback, fourth means located at the fixed predetermined real time readout position for reproducing the recorded information when the first means moves the recording medium to provide real time playback, fifth means coupled to the third means and responsive to the reproduced signals at high speed playback for producing output signals in accordance with the trend of particular characteristics of the ECG complexes at high speed playback, sixth means coupled to the third means and responsive to the reproduced signals for producing control signals indicative of the occurrence of the predetermined events within the characteristics of the ECG complexes, and seventh means coupled to the sicth means and the second means and responsive to the control signals provided by the sixth means for controlling the second means to move the recording medium at the real time playback speed upon the occurrence of the predetermined events within the characteristics of the ECG complexes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An arrhythmia computer for use in a dynamic multispeed ECG computer for reproducing ECG information contained on a recording medium recorded at a particular speed, including:
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first means for moving the recording medium past a fixed predetermined readout position, second means coupled to the first means for controlling the first means to move the recording medium at at least one selected speed appreciably greater than the particular speed to provide high speed playback of the recorded information, third means located at the fixed predetermined readout position for reproducing the recorded information when the first means moves the recording medium to provide the high speed playback, fourth means coupled to the third means and responsive to the reproduced information for detecting the presence of ectopic beats within the reproduced information in accordance with parameters selectable singly and in combinations and including the amplitude, width and prematurity of the R-wave portion of the ECG complexes within the ECG information, and fifth means coupled to the fourth means for selecting singly and in combinations the parameters used as a basis for detecting the presence of ectopic beats. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. period of time..]. 34. A dynamic multispeed ECG computer for reproducing ECG information contained on a recording medium recorded at a particular speed, including:
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first means for moving the recording medium past a plurality of fixed predetermined readout positions, second means coupled to the first means for controlling the first means to move the recording medium at a selected one of a plurality of speeds including the particular speed of recording and including more than one speed appreciably greater than the particular speed to provide real time and high speed playbacks respectively of the recorded information, third means located at a first one of the fixed predetermined readout positions for reproducing the recorded information when the first means moves the recording medium to provide real time playback, fourth means located at a second one of the fixed predetermined readout positions for reproducing the recorded information when the first means moves the recording medium to provide high speed playback, fifth means coupled to the fourth means and responsive to the reproduced signals at high speed playback for producing output signals in accordance with the trend of particular characteristics of the ECG complexes at high speed playback, sixth means coupled to the fourth means and responsive to the reproduced signals for producing control signals upon the detection of predetermined characteristics of the ECG complexes, seventh means coupled to the sixth means and the second means and responsive to the control signals produced by the sixth means for controlling the second means to move the recording medium at the real time playback speed for a predetermined period of time upon the detection of the predetermined characteristis of the ECG complexes and to then return to the selected one of the multispeed high speed playbacks, and eighth means coupled to the fifth, sixth and seventh means for inhibiting the production of the control signals by the sixth means during a first forward run of the recording medium from the beginning to the end to provide a continuous high speed trend output, for immediately rewinding the recording medium to the beginnning, and for then enabling the production of the control signals by said sixth means during a second forward run of the recording medium from the beginning to the end in which the recording medium is run at the real time playback speed for a predetermined period of time upon the detection of the predetermined characteristics of the ECG complexes under control of said seventh means.
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- 35. of the ECG signals on a real time basis. 38. The ECG computer of claim 35 wherein the sixth means is responsive to ectopic beats in the ECG information reproduced at high speed playback for producing the control
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52. predetermined period of time. 55. In a dynamic multispeed ECG computer for reproducing ECG information contained on a recording medium recorded at a particular speed, including a first means for moving the recording medium at at least one fixed predetermined real time readout position and at least one fixed predetermined high speed readout position, a second means coupled to the first means for controlling the first means to move the recording medium at a selected one of a plurality of speeds including the particular speed and including more than one speed appreciably greater than the particular speed to provide real time and high speed playbacks respectively of the recorded information, a third means located at the fixed predetermined high speed readoutposition for reproducing the recorded information when the first means moves the recording medium to provide high speed playback, a fourth means located at the fixed predetermined real time readout position for reproducing the recorded information when the first means moves the recording medium to provide real time playback, a fifth means coupled to the third means and responsive to the reproduced signals at high speed playback for producing output signals in accordance with the trend of particular characteristics of the ECG complexes at high speed playback, and a sixth means coupled to the third means and responsive to the reproduced signals for producing control signals indicative of the occurrence of the predetermined events within the characteristics of the ECG complexes, the improvement comprising:
seventh means coupled to the sixth means and the second means and responsive to the control signals provided by the sixth means for controlling the second means to move the recording medium at the real time playback speed upon the occurrence of the predetermined events within the - View Dependent Claims (50)
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53. characteristics of the ECG complexes. 56. In an arrhythmia computer for use in a dynamic multispeed ECG computer for reproducing ECG information contained on a recording medium recorded at a particular speed and including a first means for moving the recording medium past a fixed predetermined readout position, a second means coupled to the first means for controlling the first means to move the recording medium at at least one selected speed appreciably greater than the particular speed to provide high speed playback of the recorded information, a third means located at the fixed predetermined readout position for reproducing the recorded information when the first means moves the recording medium to provide the high speed playback, the improvement comprising:
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fourth means coupled to the third means and responsive to the reproduced information for detecting the presence of ectopic beats within the reproduced information in accordance with parameters selectable singly and in combinations and including the amplitude, width and prematurity of the R-wave portion of the ECG complexes within the ECG information, and, fifth means coupled to the fourth means for selecting singly and in combinations the parameters used as a basis for detecting the presence of - View Dependent Claims (51)
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54. ectopic beats. 57. In a dynamic multispeed ECG computer for reproducing ECG information contained on a recording medium recorded at a particular speed and including a first means for moving the recording medium past a plurality of fixed predetermined readout positions, a second means coupled to the first means for controlling the first means to move the recording medium at a selected one of a plurality of speeds including the particular speed of recording and including more than one speed appreciably greater than the the particular speed to provide real time and high speed playbacks respectively of the recorded information, a third means located at a first one of the fixed predetermined readout positions for reproducing the recorded information when the first means moves the recording medium to provide real time playback, a fourth means located at a second one of the fixed predetermined readout positions for reproducing the recorded informatin when the first means moves the recording medium to provide high speed playback, a fifth means coupled to the fourth means and responsive to the reproduced signals at high speed playback for producing output signals in accordance with the trend of particular characteristics of the ECG complexes past high speed playback, a sixth means coupled to the fourth means and responsive to the reproduced signals for producing control signals upon detection of predetermined characteristics of the ECG complexes, the improvement comprising:
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seventh means coupled to the sixth means and the second means and responsive to the control signals produced by the sixth means for controlling the second means to move the recording medium at the real time playback speed for a predetermined period of time upon the detection of the predetermined characteristics of the ECT complexes and to then return to the selected one of the multispeed high speed playbacks, and, eighth means coupled to the fifth, sixth and seventh means for inhibiting the production of the control signals by the sixth means during a first forward run of the recording medium from the beginning to the end to provide a continuous high speed trend output, for immediately rewinding the recording medium to the beginning, and for then enabling the productin of the control signals by the sixth means during a second forward run of the recording medium from the beginning to the end in which the recording medium is run at the real time playback speed for a predetermined period of time upon the detection of the predetermined characteristics of the ECG complexes under control of said seventh means.
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Specification