System and method for facilitating a cardiac rhythm disorder diagnosis with the aid of a digital computer

• US 10,045,709 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bardy Diagnostics, Inc. (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bardy Diagnostics, Inc. (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Bardy, Gust H., Dreisbach, Ezra M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US15/231,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20160345854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/259 using conductive adhesive means, e.g. gels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/333 Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/339 Displays specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/35 by template matching
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/361 Detecting fibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/363 Detecting tachycardia or bradycardia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/364 Detecting abnormal ECG interval, e.g. extrasystoles, ectopic heartbeats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating a cardiac rhythm disorder diagnosis with the aid of a digital computer are provided. Cutaneous action potentials of a patient are recorded as electrocardiogram (ECG) data over a set time period. A set of R-wave peaks is identified within the ECG data and an R-R interval plot is constructed. A difference between recording times of successive pairs of the R-wave peaks in the set is determined. A heart rate associated with each difference is also determined. The pairs of the R-wave peaks and associated heart rate are plotted as the R-R interval plot. A diagnosis of cardiac disorder is facilitated based on patterns of the plotted pairs of the R-wave peaks and the associated heart rates in the R-R interval plot.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating a cardiac rhythm disorder diagnosis with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:

an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring and recording device;

a download station adapted to retrieve cutaneous action potentials of a patient recorded over a set period of time by the ECG monitoring and recording device as ECG data;

a processor and memory within which code for execution by the processor is stored, wherein the processor;

identifies a set of R-wave peaks within the ECG data;

constructs an R-R interval plot, comprising;

determines a difference between recording times of successive pairs of the R-wave peaks in the set and to determine a heart rate associated with each difference;

plots each pair of the R-wave peaks obtained from the ECG monitoring and recording device based on the difference in recording times of that successive pair of the R-wave peaks and the associated heart rate for that successive pair of the R-wave peaks as the R-R interval plot; and

accentuates in the R-R interval plot spatial differences in frequently-occurring ranges of the heart rate and de-emphasizes the spatial differences in ranges of the heart rate where a deviation from the frequently-occurring ranges exists using a non-linear scale for the heart rate

a display comprising the R-R interval plot and one or more ECG plots each comprising at least a portion of the ECG data to facilitate diagnosis of a cardiac disorder of the patient based on patterns of the plotted pairs of the R-wave peaks and the associated heart rates in the R-R interval plot and the ECG plots.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the display displays the ECG plots as contextual data for the R-R interval plot.

3. A system in accordance with claim 2, wherein each ECG plot comprises one of a near field view providing ECG data corresponding to the data for the R-wave peak pairs at a center of the R-R interval plot and an intermediate field view providing presentation of additional ECG data than the near field view.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the set of R-wave peaks is collected over a period of at least 40 minutes.

5. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the processor selects the set of R-wave peaks by identifying a potential cardiac event within the ECG data and obtaining a portion of the ECG data corresponding to a time during, prior to, and after the potential cardiac event as the set of R-wave peaks.

6. A system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the processor represents the potential cardiac event in the R-R interval plot via a temporal point of reference.

7. A system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the display displays the temporal point of reference in the R-R interval plot in one of a center and another location.

8. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the processor facilitates a diagnosis of one cardiac disorder to another cardiac disorder via the R-R interval plot.

9. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plot submodule plots the recording time difference along an x-axis of the R-R interval plot and the heart rate along a y-axis.

10. A method for facilitating a cardiac rhythm disorder diagnosis with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:

recording cutaneous action potentials of a patient as electrocardiogram (EGC) data over a set time period;

identifying a set of R-wave peaks within the ECG data;

constructing an R-R interval plot, comprising;

determining a difference between recording times of successive pairs of the R-wave peaks in the set;

determining a heart rate associated with each difference; and

plotting each pair of the R-wave peaks obtained from the ECG monitoring and recording device based on the difference in recording times of that successive pair of the R-wave peaks and the associated heart rate for that successive pair of the R-wave peaks as the R-R interval plot;

accentuating in the R-R interval plot spatial differences in frequently-occurring ranges of the heart rate, while de-emphasizing the spatial differences in ranges of the heart rate where a deviation from the frequently-occurring ranges exists using a non-linear scale for the heart rate;

displaying the R-R interval plot with one or more ECG plots each comprising at least a portion of the ECG data; and

facilitating diagnosis of a cardiac disorder of the patient based on patterns of the plotted pairs of the R-wave peaks and the associated heart rates in the R-R interval plot and the ECG plots.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising:

displaying the ECG plots as contextual data for the R-R interval plot.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein each ECG plot comprises one of a near field view providing ECG data corresponding to the data for the R-wave peak pairs at a center of the R-R interval plot and an intermediate field view providing presentation of additional ECG data than the near field view.

13. A method in accordance with claim 10, wherein the set of R-wave peaks is collected over a period of at least 40 minutes.

14. A method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising:

selecting the set of R-wave peaks, comprising;

identifying a potential cardiac event within the ECG data; and

obtaining a portion of the ECG data corresponding to a time during, prior to, and after the potential cardiac event as the set of R-wave peaks.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14, further comprising:

representing the potential cardiac event in the R-R interval plot via a temporal point of reference.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

displaying the temporal point of reference in the R-R interval plot in one of a center and another location.

17. A method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising:

facilitating a diagnosis of one cardiac disorder to another cardiac disorder via the R-R interval plot.

18. A method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising:

plotting the recording time difference along an x-axis of the R-R interval plot and the heart rate along a y-axis.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing code for executing on a computer system to perform the method according to claim 10.