Non-invasive cardiac monitor and methods of using continuously recorded cardiac data

A continuous cardiac monitor, comprising:

• a watertight housing;
• a surface on the housing adapted to be sealably engaged to a mammal;
• an adhesive on the surface configured to remain continuously affixed to the mammal for at least 7 days, without removal until completion of monitoring;
• a rim extending from a central portion of the housing to form a watertight electrode chamber when the surface is affixed to the mammal;
• first and second electrodes permanently disposed within the housing and positioned to detect continuous cardiac rhythm information of the mammal while the surface is sealably engaged to the mammal, wherein a distance between a center of the first electrode and a center of the second electrode is at least about 5 cm, and wherein the first and second electrodes are positioned within the watertight electrode chamber;
• an action sequencer circuit within the housing having no central processing unit for rhythm analysis, wherein the action sequencer circuit operates to store the continuous cardiac rhythm information detected by the at least two electrodes into an electronic memory without determining whether the continuous cardiac rhythm information corresponds to a normal cardiac rhythm or an abnormal cardiac rhythm;
• and
• electrical connections within the housing connecting the electronic memory to the at least two electrodes throughout the at least 7 days,
• wherein the watertight housing allows the mammal to bathe and otherwise expose the cardiac monitor to water without requiring removal of the monitor during the at least 7 days and thus provides for the detecting and storing of continuous cardiac rhythm information by the monitor throughout the at least 7 days, thereby allowing for a more complete assessment of all normal and abnormal cardiac rhythms and their total durations during the at least 7 days, based on continuous, uninterrupted cardiac rhythm information stored by the monitor.