Method and apparatus for spectral analysis of electrocardiographic signals
US5109862A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 21, 1991 |
| Grant date | May 5, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 21, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B5/7257
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A frequency domain signal processing and analysis method and apparatus displays, plots and makes measurements upon electrocardiographic signals (ECG) recorded from the body surface. Both the graphic plots and the numeric parameters measured reveal abnormalities of electrical conduction within the heart thought to be important in the identification of patients at risk of serious disturbances of heart rhythm including sudden death. The invention employs Fourier analysis of short overlapping segments of ECG signal to create a three dimensional map ("spectrocardiogram") whose axes are time, fequency and power thus disclosing changes in the frequency content of the ECG signal over short intervals of time. In additoin to the Fourier analysis itself, the method and apparatus provides a wide choice of user-selectable signal pre-processing, post-processing, display and plotting options as well as performing custom mathematical computations upon the Fourier spectra to distinguish and quantify visually apparent differences between normal and abnormal spectrocardiograms.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.