Artifact rejector for repetitive physiologic-event-signal data

Abstract

An artifact rejector for repetitive physiologic-event-signal data generated from electronically-controlled physiologic-event-measuring equipment includes a physiologic-event-signal averager in communication with such physiologic-event-measuring equipment. The artifact rejector is constructed to generate and store repetitive averaged physiologic-event-signal data based upon a substantially stable time relationship between corresponding physiologic-event-signal data and heart-beat-related-signal data. The repetitive averaged physiologic-event-signal data includes less noise than the repetitive physiologic-event-signal data. The artifact rejector generates and continuously updates an averaged-data template by storing such repetitive averaged physiologic-event-signal data for a preselected number of measured physiologic events. The artifact rejector also includes a physiologic-event-noise estimator and a physiologic-event-noise monitor in communication with such physiologic-event-measuring equipment, and capable of instructing the monitor to adjust the measurement cycle based upon estimated, monitored noise. The averager preferably includes a sharp roll-off, low pass filter and examples include a fourth-order Bessel filter, two cascaded, identical second-order Bessel filters, an elliptic filter, a Tchetschebyscheff filter, or finite impulse response filters. The heart-beat-related signal is preferably an ECG signal. A method of artifact rejection includes generating and storing repetitive averaged physiologic-event-signal data based upon a substantially stable time relationship between corresponding physiologic-event-signal data and heart-beat-related-signal data, with the repetitive averaged physiologic-event-signal data including less noise than the repetitive physiologic-event-signal data.

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