# US 2014/0155725 A1 · Method of signal enhancement for ecg devices

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- Number: US 2014/0155725 A1
- Document ID: US20140155725A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/176,863
- Filed: 2014-02-10
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-05-02
- Assignees: Medtronic, Inc.
- Applicants: Medtronic, Inc.
- Inventors: Zhendgong Song; Sheng Wang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155725A1

## CPC

- A61B 5/282: Holders for multiple electrodes (for introduction into the body A61B5/287)
- A61B 5/316: Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
- A61B 5/327: Generation of artificial ECG signals based on measured signals, e.g. to compensate for missing leads
- A61B 5/332: Portable devices specially adapted therefor
- A61B 5/0006: {ECG or EEG signals}
- A61B 5/287: Holders for multiple electrodes, e.g. electrode catheters for electrophysiological study [EPS]
- A61B 5/7221: {Determining signal validity, reliability or quality (preventing, reducing or removing noise induced by motion artefacts A61B5/7207; noise originating from a therapeutic or surgical apparatus A61B5/7217)}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

An embodiment of the invention comprises a method of monitoring cardiac electrical activity with two or more ECG devices and computing an enhanced cardiac electrical signal from the cardiac electrical signals obtained from the two or more ECG devices. Electrodes of the two or more ECG devices are positioned in a manner to provide an electrical potential difference that is large enough to give useful information about a given ECG signal. The method further includes recommending addition of a supplemental ECG device when it is determined that the one or more of the existing ECG devices are inadequate for providing cardiac electrical data that identifies a specific cardiac event.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of monitoring cardiac electrical activity, comprising:
receiving one or more cardiac electrical signals from one or more ECG devices, wherein each of said one or more ECG devices comprises a pair of electrodes positioned on longitudinally opposing ends of said one or more ECG devices, wherein
a first electrode of a first ECG device of the one or more ECG devices is positioned at a first location of either maximum or minimum electrical potential for a first predetermined ECG signal; and
each of said one or more cardiac electrical signals represents a difference in an electrical potential between the first and a second electrode of the pair of electrodes;
reviewing cardiac data based on said one or more cardiac electrical signals to identify a cardiac event, and
recommending addition of a supplemental ECG device in a supplemental position if the cardiac data is determined to be inadequate for identifying the cardiac event, the supplemental ECG device comprising a supplemental pair of electrodes positioned on longitudinally opposing ends of said supplemental ECG device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein
the second electrode of the first ECG device is positioned along an equipotential line extending from the first location of either maximum or minimum electrical potential for the first predetermined ECG signal;
the supplemental position includes a first electrode of the supplemental pair of electrodes being positioned near a supplemental location of either minimum or maximum electrical potential for the first predetermined ECG signal and a second electrode of the supplemental pair of electrodes being positioned along an equipotential line extending from the supplemental location of either minimum or maximum electrical potential for the first predetermined ECG signal; and
an arithmetic difference in an electrical potential between the second electrode of the first ECG device and the second electrode of the supplemental pair of electrodes in the supplemental position would be essentially negligible.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more cardiac electrical signals is received from the first ECG device and a second ECG device

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein
the second electrode of one of the first or second ECG device is positioned along an equipotential line extending from the first location of either maximum or minimum electrical potential for the first predetermined ECG signal;
the supplemental position includes a first electrode of the supplemental pair of electrodes being positioned near a supplemental location of either minimum or maximum electrical potential for the first predetermined ECG signal and a second electrode of the supplemental pair of electrodes being positioned along an equipotential line extending from the supplemental location of either minimum or maximum electrical potential for the first predetermined ECG signal; and
an arithmetic difference in an electrical potential between the second electrode of the one of the first or second ECG device and the second electrode of the supplemental pair of electrodes in the supplemental position would be essentially negligible.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein
the cardiac data is determined to be inadequate for identifying the cardiac event because the first predetermined ECG signal is determined to be not indicative of the cardiac event;
a first electrode of at least one of the one or more ECG devices is positioned at a second location of either maximum or minimum electrical potential for a second predetermined ECG signal;
the second electrode of the at least one of the one or more ECG devices is positioned along an equipotential line extending from the second location of either maximum or minimum electrical potential for the second predetermined ECG signal;
the supplemental position includes a first electrode of the supplemental pair of electrodes being positioned at a supplemental location of either minimum or maximum electrical potential for the second predetermined ECG signal and a second electrode of the supplemental pair of electrodes being positioned along an equipotential line extending from the supplemental location of either minimum or maximum electrical potential for the second predetermined ECG signal; and
an arithmetic difference in an electrical potential between the second electrode of the at least one ECG device and the second electrode of the supplemental pair of electrodes in the supplemental position would be essentially negligible.