ECG data display method for rapid detection of myocardial ischemia

1. In a patient monitoring device, a method for displaying multi-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) data, comprising:

determining ST-segment deviations corresponding to a plurality of ECG leads provided by an ECG device;

defining in a polar diagram a zero ST-segment deviation by a concentric circle having a radius;

transforming one or more determined ST-segment deviations by adding the value of the radius to one or more determined ST-segment deviations; and

displaying the transformed ST-segment deviations and the concentric circle on the patient monitoring device in the polar diagram, the transformed ST-segment deviations displayed according to axial directions defined by the ECG leads.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radius is predetermined to have a value such that it is greater than a maximum expected ST segment deviation magnitude.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a maximum value of the ST segment deviations, and determining the radius to have a value of greater than a maximum magnitude of all determined ST segment deviations.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ECG leads are displayed in the axial directions in the polar diagram with a predetermined sequential order.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein myocardial ischemia is defined by an ST-segment deviation in two contiguous leads of at least 0.1 mV, the method further comprising:

assessing deviations of the modified ST-segment deviations from a circle, in particular a circle having its center at the origin, and ascertaining the presence of myocardial ischemia from the observed deviation.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: computing ST-segment deviations for missing ECG leads from a linear combination of ST-segment deviation values of measured ECG leads.

7. A patient monitoring device for display of ST segment deviations in an electrocardiogram (ECG), the device comprising:

an input unit configured to receive signals from ECG leads;

a processor configured to:

determine from the signals ST segment deviations,

define, in a polar diagram, a zero ST-segment deviation by a concentric circle having a radius, and

transform one or more determined ST-segment deviations by adding the value of the radius to the one or more determined ST-segment deviations; and

a display for displaying the concentric circle and the transformed ST-segment deviations on the patient monitoring device in the polar diagram, the transformed ST-segment deviations displayed according to axial directions defined by the ECG leads.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the processor if further configured to: determine a maximum value of the ST segment deviations, and determine the radius to have a value of greater than a maximum magnitude of all determined ST segment deviations.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the ECG leads are displayed in the axial directions in the polar diagram with a predetermined sequential order.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein myocardial ischemia is defined by an ST-segment deviation in two contiguous leads of at least 0.1 mV, the processor further configured to assess deviations of the modified ST-segment deviations from a circle, in particular a circle having its center at the origin, and ascertain the presence of myocardial ischemia from the observed deviation.

11. The device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to compute ST-segment deviations for missing ECG leads from a linear combination of ST-segment deviation values of measured ECG leads.

12. The device of claim 7 , wherein the radius is predetermined to have a value such that it is greater than a maximum expected ST segment deviation magnitude.

13. A non-transitory computer program product storing instructions, which when executed by at least one data processor, result in operations comprising:

determining, from a plurality of electrocardiogram (ECG) leads provided by an ECG device, corresponding ST-segment deviations;

defining, in a polar diagram, a zero ST-segment deviation by a concentric circle having a radius;

transforming one or more ST-segment deviations by adding the value of the radius to the determined ST-segment deviations; and

displaying the transformed ST-segment deviations and the concentric circle on a display device in the polar diagram, the transformed ST-segment deviations displayed according to axial directions defined by the ECG leads.

14. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the radius is predetermined to have a value such that it is greater than a maximum expected ST segment deviation magnitude.

15. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 13 , the operations further comprising: determining a maximum value of the ST segment deviations, and determining the radius to have a value of greater than a maximum magnitude of all determined ST segment deviations.

16. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the ECG leads are displayed in the axial directions in the polar diagram with a predetermined sequential order.

17. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 13 , wherein myocardial ischemia is defined by an ST-segment deviation in two contiguous leads of at least 0.1 mV, the operations further comprising:

assessing deviations of the modified ST-segment deviations from a circle, in particular a circle having its center at the origin, and ascertaining the presence of myocardial ischemia from the observed deviation.

18. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 13 , the operations further comprising: computing ST-segment deviations for missing ECG leads from a linear combination of ST-segment deviation values of measured ECG leads.