Musical representation of cardiac markers

• US 7,742,807 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Walls, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Manuel; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wieland; Robert N
• Application Number:
  US11/557,424
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 607 30- 32, 607 59- 60, 128/899, 482/3, 600/301, 600/323, 600/365, 600/509
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7415 Sound rendering of measured values, e.g. by pitch or volume variation A61B5/741 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36507 controlled by gradient or slope of the heart potential
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/288 for artificial respiration or heart massage

Abstract

Cardiac electrical activity includes intrinsic signals as well as paced or stimulated signals. Waveforms of cardiac electrical activity may be detected by a variety of systems, including surface ECG systems and various implantable cardiac devices including implantable cardiac stimulation devices. Intrinsic cardiac signals and various cardiac conditions influence these waveforms in ways that can be identified using various detection criteria, and from which cardiac markers may be generated. Musical notations are linked to these cardiac markers as appropriate, and are sounded as a function of time to generate musical sound which is indicative of the patient'"'"'s cardiac function.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring electrical activity of the heart comprising:

acquiring time-based data relating to electrical activity of the heart;

identifying one or more characteristics of the data indicative of cardiac events, the cardiac events comprising atrial events and ventricular events;

associating a first musical notation with each of the atrial events, and associating a second musical notation with each of the ventricular events, wherein the first and second musical notations are different; and

audibly generating the musical notations to a user for every cardiac cycle.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying time relationships between the identified first characteristics; and

establishing time relationships between the musical notations associated with the identified first characteristics that are proportional to the relative time relationships between the identified first characteristics.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising reproducing the musical notations as sound in accordance with the time relationships established between the musical notations.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying second characteristics of the data indicative of relationships between cardiac events, the relationships being of different types; and

associating a musical notation with each of the identified second characteristics in accordance with the type of relationship represented by each of the identified second characteristics.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying third characteristics of the data indicative of relationships between groups of cardiac events, the relationships being of different types; and

associating a musical notation with each of the identified third characteristics in accordance with the type of relationship represented by each of the identified third characteristics.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying fourth characteristics of the data indicative of relationships between groups of cardiac events and reference groups of cardiac events, the relationships being of different types; and

associating a musical notation with each of the identified fourth characteristics in accordance with the type of relationship represented by each of the identified fourth characteristics.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the musical notations comprise tones of varying pitch, quality, duration, or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the musical notations comprise a series of tones.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the musical notations comprise sound stylized with staccato, crescendo, or slur.

10. A method of monitoring electrical activity of the heart comprising:

acquiring a waveform of electrical activity of the heart;

generating cardiac markers for characteristics of the waveform indicative of cardiac events, the cardiac events comprising atrial events and ventricular events;

linking a first musical notation to each of the cardiac markers corresponding to atrial events, and a second musical notation to each of the cardiac markers corresponding to ventricular events; and

reproducing the musical notations as sound effectively in synchronism with the waveform for every cardiac cycle.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

acquiring atrial pacing data and ventricle pacing data;

generating atrial pacing markers from the atrial pacing data; and

generating ventricular pacing markers from the ventricular pacing data;

wherein the musical notation further comprises a third tone different from the first and second tones for linking to the atrial pacing markers, and a fourth tone different from the first, second and third tones for linking to the ventricle pacing markers.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the cardiac markers comprise an atrial fibrillation marker; and

the musical notation comprises a series of tones for linking to the atrial fibrillation marker.

13. A system for monitoring electrical activity of the heart comprising:

means for acquiring data relating to electrical activity of the heart;

means for identifying atrial and ventricular events within the data;

means for associating a particular musical notation with each atrial event and a different musical notation with each ventricular event; and

means for audibly generating the musical notations to a user for every cardiac cycle.

14. An apparatus for monitoring electrical activity of the heart comprising:

a communications subsystem adapted to receive cardiac markers corresponding to atrial events and ventricular events in a cardiac waveform indicative of cardiac events, the cardiac markers having time relationships effectively proportional to time relationships of the atrial events and ventricular events in the cardiac waveform; and

an audio subsystem coupled to the communications subsystem for reproducing the cardiac markers in accordance with the time relationships thereof as sound, wherein the audio subsystem generates a first musical notation for each atrial event, and a second musical notation for each ventricular event, wherein the first and second musical notations differ acoustically, and wherein the first and second musical notations are reproduced for every cardiac cycle.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the communications subsystem comprises a network interface.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the communications subsystem comprises a wireless telemetry circuit.