Method and apparatus for detecting cardiac arrhythmia and recording medium using the method

An apparatus for detecting cardiac arrhythmia, comprising:

• a processor, configured to acquire physiological signals of a human comprising a sequence of heart pulses, and calculate an average of heartbeat intervals between pairs of consecutive heart pulses in the sequence of heart pulses, a difference between each pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals and an average of each pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals,
• wherein the processor is further configured to examine each pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals and identify a heartbeat between the pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals as a PVC candidate or an APC candidate if the difference between the pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals is larger than a product of a first factor and the average of heartbeat intervals and the average of the pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals is within a predetermined range, wherein an upper limit of the predetermined range is a product of a second factor and the average of heartbeat intervals and a lower limit of the predetermined range is a product of a third factor and the average of heartbeat intervals,
• wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a first pulse interval irregularity among the heartbeat intervals excluding the pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals associated with the PVC candidate or the APC candidate, and determine there is an AF detected from the physiological signals in response to a determination that the first pulse interval irregularity is larger than a threshold.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a computer program to be loaded by an electronic apparatus to execute steps of:

• acquiring physiological signals of a human comprising a sequence of heart pulses;
• calculating an average of heartbeat intervals between pairs of consecutive heart pulses in the sequence of heart pulses;
• examining each pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals to determine whether a difference between the pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals is larger than a product of a first factor and the average of heartbeat intervals and determine whether an average of the pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals is within a predetermined range, wherein an upper limit of the predetermined range is a product of a second factor and the average of heartbeat intervals and a lower limit of the predetermined range is a product of a third factor and the average of heartbeat intervals;
• and
• identifying a heartbeat between the pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals as a PVC candidate or an APC candidate in response to a determination that the difference between the pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals is larger than the product of the first factor and the average of heartbeat intervals and the average of the pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals is within the predetermined range,
• wherein after the step of identifying the heartbeat between the pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals as the PVC candidate or the APC candidate, the steps further comprise:
• calculating a first pulse interval irregularity among the heartbeat intervals excluding the pair of consecutive heartbeat intervals associated with the PVC candidate or the APC candidate;
• and
• determining there is an atrial fibrillation (AF) detected from the physiological signals in response to a determination that the first pulse interval irregularity is larger than a threshold.