Method for calculating the heart rate variability for being applied in an ECG monitor, and ECG monitor comprising an appropriate calculation program

US6532382B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Biotronik Mess -und Therapiegeraede GmbH & Co. Ingenieurbuero Berlin · DE

Inventors

• Jan MEIER · Uttenreuth, DE
• Eric Fournie · Erlangen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 12, 2001
• Grant date: Mar 11, 2003
• Expiry date: Jun 3, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61N1/36592
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method of calculating the heart rate variability of the human heart to be used in an ECG monitor comprises the following procedural steps:scanning of the ECG signal received from the ECG monitor during a scanning interval,determining from the scanned ECG signals a number of discrete measuring values representative of the heart rate variability, andevaluating these measuring values on the basis of the Fourier transformation, wherein the frequency spectre of the measuring values is calculated from the Fourier coefficients of the Fourier transformation, which are for their turn calculated from a combination of said measuring values with the sinus- and cosinus-shaped Fourier vectors of the Fourier transformation wherein the Fourier vectors are involved in the calculation in the form of a number of discrete real numerical vector values, andreplacing of the numerical vector values for calculating the frequency spectrumof the scanned measuring values by rough, integral approximate vector values of a limited number which roughly form the shape of the Fourier vectors.