System for heart performance characterization and abnormality detection

1. A system for heart performance characterization and abnormality detection, comprising:

an acquisition device configured for acquiring an electrophysiological signal representing heart beat cycles of a patient heart;

a detector configured for detecting parameters of said electrophysiological signal of parameter type comprising at least one of, (a) Principal frequency, (b) dominant frequency ratio and (c) frequency bandwidth, of first and second single different portions of a plurality of different portions of a single heart beat cycle of said heart beat cycles selected in response to first predetermined data, said first and second single different portions of said single heart beat cycle individually comprising single different portions selected from, a P wave portion, a QRS complex portion, an ST segment portion and a T wave portion in response to second predetermined data;

a signal analyzer configured for calculating a ratio of the detected parameters of a single parameter type of the first and second single different portions; and

an output processor configured for generating data representing an alert message in response to the calculated ratio exceeding a predetermined threshold.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein

said detector detects a time duration parameter of said first and second single different portions and

said signal analyzer calculates both a frequency parameter type ratio and a time duration parameter type ratio using the detected parameters and

said output processor generates data representing an alert message in response to the calculated ratios.

3. A system according to claim 1 , including

a comparator for determining whether a calculated ratio exceeds a predetermined upper limit threshold or a predetermined lower limit threshold wherein said signal analyzer automatically selects said ratio to calculate and said first and second single different portions of said single heart beat cycle from said P wave portion, said QRS complex portion, said ST segment portion and said T wave portion in response to data indicating a clinical application.

4. A system according to claim 1 , including

a repository of mapping information associating a plurality of value ranges of predetermined calculated ratios with a corresponding plurality of medical conditions,

said signal analyzer uses said mapping information in automatically identifying a particular medical condition indicated by the calculated ratio and

said alert message identifies said particular medical condition.

5. A system according to claim 4 , wherein

said mapping information associates said plurality of value ranges of predetermined calculated ratios with at least one of, (a) a normal indication and (b) an abnormal indication.

6. A system according to claim 4 , wherein

said plurality of medical conditions include at least two of, (a) arrhythmia (b) myocardial infarction and (c) myocardial ischemia.

7. A system according to claim 4 , wherein

said mapping information associates a plurality of value ranges of predetermined calculated ratios with a corresponding plurality of medical conditions determined from population having similar demographic characteristics to said patient, said demographic characteristics including at least two of age, height, weight, gender and pregnancy status.

8. A system according to claim 1 , wherein

said signal analyzer automatically selects said ratio of the detected parameters of a single parameter type of the first and second single different portions to calculate, in response to data indicating a clinical application and

said first predetermined data and said second predetermined data comprise at least one of, (a) default data, (b) data provided in response to user command and (c) data indicating said clinical application.

9. A system for heart performance characterization and abnormality detection, comprising:

an acquisition device configured for acquiring an electrophysiological signal representing heart beat cycles of a patient heart;

a detector configured for detecting time duration of first and second single different portions of a plurality of different portions of a single heart beat cycle of said heart beat cycles selected in response to first predetermined data, said first and second single different portions of said single heart beat cycle individually comprising single different portions selected from, a P wave portion, a QRS complex portion, an ST segment portion and a T wave portion in response to second predetermined data;

a signal analyzer configured for automatically calculating a plurality of different ratios of the time duration of different first and second single different portions of said single heart beat and automatically selecting said ratios to calculate and said first and second single different portions of said single heart beat cycle from said P wave portion, said QRS complex portion, said ST segment portion and said T wave portion in response to data indicating a clinical application; and

an output processor configured for generating data representing an alert message in response to the calculated ratios exceeding a predetermined threshold.

10. A system according to claim 9 , wherein

said detector detects a frequency parameter of said first and second single different portions and

said signal analyzer calculates both a frequency parameter type ratio and a time duration parameter type ratio using the detected parameters.

11. A system according to claim 9 , wherein

said detector detects a peak signal frequency of said different portions of said single heart beat cycle and

said signal analyzer calculates a ratio of peak signal frequency of said different portions of said single heart beat cycle.

12. A system according to claim 9 , wherein

said detector detects a frequency bandwidth of said different portions of said single heart beat cycle and

said signal analyzer calculates a ratio of frequency bandwidth of said different portions of said single heart beat cycle.

13. A system according to claim 9 , wherein

said detector detects a U-wave portion of said single heart beat cycle and

said signal analyzer calculates a ratio of the detected parameters of a single parameter type of different portions of said single heart beat cycle.

14. A system according to claim 9 , wherein

said signal analyzer calculates a plurality of ratios of time duration of said plurality of different portions of said single heart beat cycle and

said output processor generates data representing an alert message in response to a predetermined combination of the calculated ratios exceeding a predetermined threshold.

15. A system according to claim 9 , wherein

said system comprises a patient monitoring device,

said detector detects maximum or minimum signal amplitude of said different portions of said single heart beat cycle and

said signal analyzer calculates a ratio of maximum signal amplitude or minimum signal amplitude of said different portions of said single heart beat cycle.

16. A system according to claim 9 , wherein

said alert message indicates severity of a cardiac condition.

17. A system according to claim 9 , wherein

said alert message provides advance warning of myocardial ischemia or acute myocardial infarction in cases including non-symptomatic cases.

18. A system according to claim 9 , wherein

said alert message initiates treatment by being adapted to at least one of, (a) initiate drug delivery and (b) initiate electrical stimulus or pacing of a heart.

19. A method for heart performance characterization and abnormality detection, comprising the activities of:

acquiring an electrophysiological signal representing heart beat cycles of a patient heart;

detecting time duration of a plurality of different portions of a single heart beat cycle of said heart beat cycles selected in response to first predetermined data, said plurality of portions of said single heart beat cycle being selected from, a P wave portion, a QRS complex portion, an ST segment portion and a T wave portion in response to second predetermined data;

calculating a ratio of time duration of a first combination of said plurality of different portions of said single heart beat cycle to a second combination, different to said first combination, of said different portions of said single heart beat cycle; and

generating data representing an alert message in response to a calculated ratio exceeding a predetermined threshold.

20. A method according to claim 19 , wherein

said activity of detecting time duration comprises detecting maximum or minimum signal amplitude of said first combination and said second combination of said different portions of said single heart beat cycle and

said activity of calculating a ratio comprises calculating a ratio of maximum signal amplitude or minimum signal amplitude of said first combination and said second combination of said different portions of said single heart beat cycle.

21. A method according to claim 19 , wherein

said activity of detecting time duration comprises detecting a peak signal frequency of said first combination and said second combination of said different portions of said single heart beat cycle and

said activity of calculating a ratio comprises calculating a ratio of a peak signal frequency of said first combination and said second combination of said different portions of said single heart beat cycle.

22. A method according to claim 19 , wherein

said activity of detecting time duration comprises detecting a frequency bandwidth of said first combination and said second combination of said different portions of said single heart beat cycle and

said activity of calculating a ratio comprises calculating a ratio of frequency bandwidth of said first combination and said second combination of said different portions of said single heart beat cycle.

23. A method for heart performance characterization and abnormality detection, comprising the activities of:

acquiring an electrophysiological signal representing heart beat cycles of a patient heart;

detecting parameters of said electrophysiological signal of parameter type comprising at least one of, (a) Principal frequency, (b) dominant frequency ratio and (c) frequency bandwidth, of first and second single different portions of a plurality of different portions of a single heart beat cycle of said heart beat cycles selected in response to first predetermined data, said first and second single different portions of said single heart beat cycle individually comprising single different portions selected from, a P wave portion, a QRS complex portion, an ST segment portion and a T wave portion in response to second predetermined data;

calculating a ratio of the detected parameters of a single parameter type of said plurality of the first and second single different portions; and

generating data representing an alert message in response to the calculated ratio exceeding a predetermined threshold.

24. A method according to claim 23 , including the activities of

detecting a time duration parameter of said first and second single different portions and

calculating both a frequency parameter type ratio and a time duration parameter type ratio using the detected parameters.