American Optical Corporation

Andrew J Griffin

Robert L Cannon, Iii

Richard Paul Andresen

Robert M Armington

A heart rate analyzer responsive to the R wave of successive ECG complexes of a patient. The intervals between successive ECG complexes are continuously counted and summed for a first number of successive complexes. First electrical representations of the average values of the intervals are generated over the first number of complexes, the number being no greater than two. The second average of the same intervals is generated for a second number of successive numbers of complexes greater than the first and electrical representations thereof are produced. These electrical representations are trapped and at least a maximum value of the first representation and a minimum value of the second representation are held. These maximum and minimum values are then converted to corresponding minimum and maximum heart rates respectively. Lastly each R wave signal generated over a predetermined period of time is counted thereby providing an indication of the average heart rate.

Heart rate analyzer

An improved R-wave detector is provided for use in monitoring and/or analyzing electrical heart waveforms. Generally conventional R-wave detection means employ automatically variable scaling means for providing a threshold or reference value to a comparator which is variable not only in magnitude but also as a percentage of the average R-wave peak value from which it is derived. An ECG waveform is compared with this threshold of automatically variable percentage value and an indication of R-wave occurrence is provided when the ECG waveform exceeds the threshold. Upon an indication of R-wave occurrence, the percentage value of the threshold is rapidly increased such that a closely following T-wave of unusually large magnitude is not falsely detected as an R-wave. Then, following the interval during which a T-wave might occur and before the possible occurrence of even a premature following R-wave, the percentage value of the threshold decreases to a level capable of detecting even such premature R-waves of reduced amplitude.

Variable threshold R-wave detector

Apparatus for the recognition of ventricular premature beats by an identifying width of a QRS complex by dividing the area by the height and further noting when the width measurements is at least 40% wider than the average width of the immediately preceding several QRS complexes. Additional apparatus for indicating ventricular premature beats by determination of an early width determination which exceeds the average width by at least 20% and is additionally followed by the compensatory pause as determined by interbeat interval measurement.

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Framingham, MA, United States of America

Andrew J Griffin