Electrocardiogram patch devices and methods

A method, the method comprising:

• adhesively attaching a patch on a patient's chest so that a first electrode and a second electrode integrated on the back of the patch measure bioelectric signals from the patient's chest, wherein the first and second electrodes are positioned a distance of at least 5 cm apart;
• acquiring a baseline electrocardiogram (ECG) shortly after adhesively attaching the patch to the patient's chest when the patient contacts a third electrode on the patch with a finger of a first hand and a fourth electrode on the patch with a finger of a second hand, wherein the baseline ECG comprises three orthogonal, or quasi-orthogonal, leads generated from the first, second third and fourth electrodes;
• storing the baseline ECG;
• updating the baseline ECG over one or more subsequent days when the patient contacts the third electrode on the patch with the finger of the first hand and the fourth electrode on the patch with the finger of a second hand when the patient indicates, on the patch, that symptoms are not present, wherein the baseline ECG recording comprises three orthogonal, or quasi-orthogonal, leads generated from the first, second third and fourth electrodes;
• recording a symptomatic ECG recording when the patient indicates, on the patch, that symptoms are present, wherein the symptomatic ECG recording comprises three orthogonal, or quasi-orthogonal, leads generated from the first, second third and fourth electrodes;
• and
• displaying the symptomatic ECG superimposed with the baseline ECG.

An adhesive patch device for synthesizing a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), the device comprising:

• a patch of adhesive material having a back and a front, wherein the back is configured to be adhesively secured to a patient's chest;
• a first electrode and a second electrode integrated on the back of the patch configured to measure bioelectric signals from the patient's chest, wherein the first and second electrodes are positioned a distance of at least 5 cm apart;
• a third electrode on the front of the patch and configured to measure bioelectric signals from the patient's right hand;
• a fourth electrode on the front of the patch and configured to measure bioelectric signals from the patient's left hand;
• a processor, within a housing of the patch, configured to derive three orthogonal cardiac leads from the first, second, third and fourth electrodes;
• and
• a detection circuit configured to detect finger contact on both the third electrode and the fourth electrode, further wherein the processor is configured to collect the three orthogonal leads when the detection circuit detects the finger contact on both the third electrode and the fourth electrode.