Apparatus for detecting sleep apnea using electrocardiogram signals

An apparatus useful in diagnosing sleep apnea in a human patient, the apparatus comprising:

• means for measuring a cardiac electrical potential of the patient and for generating an electrocardiogram signal over a time period;
• means for analyzing the electrocardiogram signal comprising both time domain and frequency domain processing;
• means for partitioning the electrocardiogram signal into a set of time periods shorter than the time period of the electrocardiogram signal;
• means for classifying each time period in the set of time periods as either apneic or normal;
• and
• means for combining classification results from a plurality of the time periods and for providing a diagnostic measure of sleep apnea for the human patient based on the combined classification results.

An apparatus useful in diagnosing sleep apnea in a human patient, the apparatus comprising:

• means for measuring a cardiac electrical potential of the patient and for generating an electrocardiogram signal over a time period;
• means for analyzing the electrocardiogram signal and for deriving a respiratory signal therefrom;
• means for partitioning the electrocardiogram signal into a set of time periods shorter than the time period of the electrocardiogram signal;
• means for classifying each time period in the set of time periods as either apneic or normal;
• and
• means for combining classification results from a plurality of the time periods and for providing a diagnostic measure of sleep apnea for the human patient based on the combined classification results,
• wherein the means for analyzing the electrocardiogram signal comprises means for calculating a power spectral density of the electrocardiogram-derived respiratory signal.

An apparatus useful in diagnosing sleep apnea in a human patient, the apparatus comprising:

• means for measuring a cardiac electrical potential of the patient and for generating an electrocardiogram signal over a time period;
• means for analyzing the electrocardiogram signal and for deriving a respiratory signal therefrom;
• means for partitioning the electrocardiogram signal into a set of time periods shorter than the time period of the electrocardiogram signal;
• means for classifying each time period in the set of time periods as either apneic or normal;
• and
• means for combining classification results from a plurality of the time periods and for providing a diagnostic measure of sleep apnea for the human patient based on the combined classification results;
• means for determining a corrected set of RR intervals for each time period in the set of time periods,
• wherein the means for classifying each time period in the set of time periods uses the corrected set of RR intervals and the derived respiratory signal,
• wherein a diagnostic measure of sleep apnea for the patient is provided using a combined classification result from a plurality of the time periods.

An apparatus useful in diagnosing sleep apnea in a human patient, the apparatus comprising:

• means for measuring a cardiac electrical potential of the patient and for generating an electrocardiogram signal over a time period;
• means for analyzing the electrocardiogram signal and for partitioning the time period into plural time intervals each shorter than the time period of the electrocardiogram signal;
• means for determining a power spectral density during each of the plural time intervals;
• means for classifying each of the plural time intervals as either apneic or normal;
• and
• means for combining classification results from each of the plural time intervals and for providing a diagnostic measure of sleep apnea for the human patient based on the combined classification results,
• wherein the means for classifying each of the plural time intervals at least uses a measurement of a power spectral density of an associated one of the plural RR intervals.

A method for diagnosing sleep apnea in a human patient, the comprising:

• measuring a cardiac electrical potential of the patient and for generating an electrocardiogram signal over a time period;
• analyzing the electrocardiogram signal and for deriving a respiratory signal therefrom;
• partitioning the electrocardiogram signal into a set of time periods shorter than the time period of the electrocardiogram signal;
• classifying each time period in the set of time periods as either apneic or normal;
• and
• combining classification results from a plurality of the time periods and for providing a diagnostic measure of sleep apnea for the human patient based on the combined classification results.

A method useful in diagnosing sleep apnea in a human patient, the method comprising:

• measuring a cardiac electrical potential of the patient and generating an electrocardiogram signal over a time period;
• analyzing the electrocardiogram signal using both time domain and frequency domain processing;
• partitioning the electrocardiogram signal into a set of time periods shorter than the time period of the electrocardiogram signal;
• classifying each time period in the set of time periods as either apneic or normal;
• and
• combining classification results from a plurality of the time periods and providing a diagnostic measure of sleep apnea for the human patient based on the combined classification results.

A method useful in diagnosing sleep apnea in a human patient, the method comprising:

• measuring a cardiac electrical potential of the patient and generating an electrocardiogram signal over a time period;
• analyzing the electrocardiogram signal and deriving a respiratory signal therefrom;
• partitioning the electrocardiogram signal into a set of time periods shorter than the time period of the electrocardiogram signal;
• classifying each time period in the set of time periods as either apneic or normal;
• and
• combining classification results from a plurality of the time periods and providing a diagnostic measure of sleep apnea for the human patient based on the combined classification results,
• wherein said analyzing the electrocardiogram signal comprises calculating a power spectral density of the electrocardiogram-derived respiratory signal.

A method useful in diagnosing sleep apnea in a human patient, the method comprising:

• measuring a cardiac electrical potential of the patient and generating an electrocardiogram signal over a time period;
• analyzing the electrocardiogram signal and deriving a respiratory signal therefrom;
• partitioning the eelectrocardiogram signal into a set of time periods shorter than the time period of the electrocardiogram signal;
• classifying each time period in the set of time periods as either apneic or normal;
• and
• combining classification results from a plurality of the time periods and providing a diagnostic measure of sleep apnea for the human patient based on the combined classification results;
• determining a corrected set of RR intervals for each time period in the set of time periods,
• wherein said classifying each time period in the set of time periods uses the corrected set of RR intervals and the derived respiratory signal,
• wherein a diagnostic measure of sleep apnea for the patient is provided using a combined classification result from a plurality of the time periods.

A method useful in diagnosing sleep apnea in a human patient, the method comprising:

• measuring a cardiac electrical potential of the patient and generating an electrocardiogram signal over a time period;
• analyzing the electrocardiogram signal and partitioning the time period into plural rime intervals each shorter than the time period of the electrocardiogram signal;
• determining a power spectral density during each of the plural time intervals;
• classifying each of the plural time intervals as either apneic or normal;
• and
• combining classification results from each of the plural time intervals and providing a diagnostic measure of sleep apnea for the human patient based on the combined classification results,
• wherein said classifying each of the plural time intervals at least uses a measurement of a power spectral density of an associated one of the plural RR intervals.