US 7,117,029 B2 · Method of and apparatus for deriving indices characterizing atrial arrhythmias

Abstract

In a method of and apparatus for deriving indices characterizing atrial arrhythmias, a temporally isolated portion of a digital representation of a time-domain electrical signal originating from the atria of a patient is frequency analyzed to provide a corresponding frequency spectrum. The obtained frequency spectrum is compared with a template frequency spectrum, selectively adapted dependent on previously obtained frequency spectra from different temporally isolated portions, to determine a frequency shift value and an amplitude value that optimize a correlation between the two spectra. An output representing the two determined values is used, possibly together with parameters describing the template frequency spectrum, to classify an atrial arrhythmia manifest in the digital representation.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A computer-readable medium encoded with data and being loadable in a digital data processing system for deriving indices characterizing atrial arrhythmias, said data programming said digital signal processing system to:

acquire a digital representation of a time-domain electrical signal originating from atria of a heart;
temporally isolate a portion of the digital representation of the time-domain signal within a variable location time window;
frequency analyze the temporally isolated portion to obtain a frequency spectrum having a fundamental frequency peak and at least one harmonic thereof;
compare the obtained frequency spectrum with a template frequency spectrum having a template fundamental frequency peak and at least one template harmonic thereof to determine a frequency shift value and an amplitude value that optimize a correlation between the obtained frequency spectrum and the template frequency spectrum;
and
emit an output representing the frequency shift value and the amplitude value as respective indices characterizing atrial arrhythmias in said electrical signal.

3 more elements

A digital data processing system for determining indices characterizing atrial arrhythmias comprising:

a storage unit for receiving and holding, for subsequent data processing a digital representation of a time-domain electrical signal originating from atria of a heart;
a time window generator operably connected to the storage unit for temporally isolating a portion of the held digital representation within a moveable time window;
a spectrum analyzer which frequency analyzes the temporally isolated portion to obtain a frequency spectrum having a fundamental frequency peak and one or more harmonics thereof;
and
a comparator for comparing the obtained frequency spectrum with a template frequency spectrum having a template fundamental frequency peak and at least one template harmonic thereof to determine a frequency shift value and an amplitude value that optimize a correlation between the obtained frequency spectrum, and the template frequency spectrum, and for providing an output representing the frequency shift value and the amplitude value as respective indices characterizing atrial arrhythmias in said electrical signal.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of and apparatus for deriving indices characterizing atrial arrhythmias

Life of this patent

Method of and apparatus for deriving indices characterizing atrial arrhythmias

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7