Method and apparatus for assessing myocardial electrical stability

US4802491A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology · US

Inventors

• Richard J. Cohen · Sharon, US
• Joseph M. Smith · North Oaks, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 30, 1986
• Grant date: Feb 7, 1989
• Expiry date: Jul 30, 2006

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B5/336
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Myocardial electrical stability is assessed based on the derivation of an alternating ECG morphology index from a series of heartbeats. The ECG electrical signal waveform is digitized at a plurlaity of sample points for each of the series of beats. Sample point matrices from the digitized ECG signals are constructed and the alternating energy at each of the sample points for the series of beats is computed. The alternating energy over the entire set of sample points is summed to generate the total alternating energy. This total alternating energy is normalized with respect to the energy of the average waveform, the normalized value being the alternating ECG morphology index. Animal studies indicate a high negative correlation between cardiac electrical stability and the alternating ECG morphology index.