Method and apparatus for atrial arrhythmia detection
AssigneeMedtronic, Inc.
InventorsRichard P.M. Houben, Vincent Larik, Tim D.J. Jongen
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Abstract
A medical device performs a method for detecting atrial arrhythmias. A signal including ventricular cycle length information is sensed in a patient and used to determine each difference between successive ventricular cycle lengths occurring during a predetermined time period. Each succeeding difference is stored as a data point in a histogram, and a metric of variability of the data points of the histogram is determined. An atrial arrhythmia is detected in response to the metric crossing a threshold. The threshold is determined in response to the number of ventricular cycle lengths occurring during the predetermined time period.
Claims21
A method for detecting atrial arrhythmias, comprising:
- sensing a signal including ventricular cycle length information in a patient;
- determining a ventricular cycle length occurring during a predetermined time period;
- determining a difference between successive ventricular cycle lengths occurring during the predetermined time period;
- storing the difference as a data point in a histogram;
- determining a metric of variability of at least two data points of the histogram;
- determining a number of ventricular cycle lengths occurring during the predetermined time period;
- determining a first threshold in response to the determined number of ventricular cycle lengths;
- and
- detecting an atrial arrhythmia in response to the metric crossing the first threshold.
A computer-readable medium for storing a set of instructions which when implemented in a system cause the system to:
- sense a signal including ventricular cycle length information in a patient;
- determine each ventricular cycle length occurring during a predetermined time period;
- determine each difference between successive ventricular cycle lengths occurring during the predetermined time period;
- store each succeeding difference as a data point in a histogram;
- determine a metric of variability of the data points of the histogram;
- determine a number of ventricular cycle lengths occurring during the predetermined period of time;
- determine a first threshold in response to the determined number of ventricular cycle lengths;
- and
- detect an atrial arrhythmia in response to the metric crossing the first threshold.
A medical device for detecting atrial arrhythmias, comprising:
- a sensor for sensing a signal including ventricular cycle length information in a patient;
- memory allocated for storing ventricular cycle length data in a histogram;
- and
- a control module coupled to the sensor and the memory, the control module configured to determine from the signal each difference between successive ventricular cycle lengths occurring during a predetermined time period, store each succeeding difference as a data point in the histogram, determining a metric of variability of the data points of the histogram, and detect an atrial arrhythmia in response to the metric crossing a first threshold,
- wherein the first threshold being determined by the control module in response to the number of ventricular cycle lengths occurring during the predetermined time period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.