System and method for facilitating a cardiac rhythm disorder diagnosis with the aid of a digital computer
A system and method for facilitating a cardiac rhythm disorder diagnosis with the aid of a digital computer is provided. Cutaneous action potentials of a patient are recorded over a set period of time as ECG data and a difference between recording times of successive pairs of R-wave peaks are recorded as R-R intervals. A heart rate is associated with each time difference. An R-R interval plot of the ECG data is generated. A presence of a cardiac event is displayed by presenting a presence of sinus tachycardia or a presence of bradycardia via the R-R interval plot.
1. A system for facilitating a cardiac rhythm disorder diagnosis with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
a download station adapted to retrieve cutaneous action potentials of a patient recorded over a set period of time as ECG data via an ECG monitoring and recording device; and
a processor and memory within which code for execution by the processor is stored, wherein the processor:
calculates a difference between recording times of successive pairs of R-wave peaks in the ECG data as R-R intervals and determines a heart rate associated with each time difference; and
generates an R-R interval plot of the ECG data comprising the R-R intervals plotted along an x-axis of the plot representing time and a y-axis representing heart rates associated with the R-R intervals, wherein the R-R interval plot is constructed with a non-linear scale for the heart rates determined in accordance with the equation:
y
=
(
x
-
min
bpm
max
bpm
-
min
bpm
)
n
where x is the time difference, min bpm is a minimum heart rate (in beats per minute), max bpm is a maximum heart rate, and n<1; and
generates a diagnostic composite plot comprising the R-R interval plot, a near field view of a portion of the ECG data, and an intermediate field view of a different portion of the ECG data for diagnosis of a cardiac event; and
a display to present a presence of sinus tachycardia via the R-R interval plot, comprising:
each R-R interval and associated heart rate represented as a point in the R-R interval plot; and
at least a portion of the points that represent a baseline that spikes up and gradually slopes down with a wide tail reflecting a sharp rise of heart rates followed by a gradual decline,
wherein an event of sinus tachycardia is determined based on the presence in the display to facilitate diagnosis of a cardiac disorder of the patient.
2. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the y-axis has a range of 20 to 300 heartbeats per minute.
3. A system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the processor removes those R-R intervals that correspond to heart rates outside the range of the y-axis.
4. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor provides a background information plot presenting time of day with the diagnostic composite plot.
5. A system in accordance with claim 4 , wherein a further background information plot presenting one or more of activity amount, activity intensity, posture, syncope impulse detection, respiratory rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation (SpO2), blood carbon dioxide level (pCO2), glucose, lung wetness, and temperature is provided with the background information plot.
6. A system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein each of the background information plot and the further background information plot are provided as one of layered on top of the diagnostic composite plot and keyed to the diagnostic composite plot.
7. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the display displays the R-R interval plot with a temporal point of reference and at least one of the near field view and the intermediate field view display part of the ECG data preceding and following the temporal point of reference as context.
8. A system for facilitating a cardiac rhythm disorder diagnosis with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
a download station adapted to retrieve cutaneous action potentials of a patient recorded over a set period of time as ECG data via an ECG monitoring and recording device; and
a processor and memory within which code for execution by the processor is stored, wherein the processor:
calculates a difference between recording times of successive pairs of R-wave peaks in the ECG data as R-R intervals and determines a heart rate associated with each time difference; and
generates an R-R interval plot of the ECG data comprising the R-R intervals plotted along an x-axis of the plot representing time and a y-axis representing the heart rates associated with the R-R intervals, wherein the R-R interval plot is constructed with a non-linear scale for the heart rates determined in accordance with the equation:
y
=
(
x
-
min
bpm
max
bpm
-
min
bpm
)
n
where x is the time difference, min bpm is a minimum heart rate (in beats per minute), max bpm is a maximum heart rate, and n<1; and
generates a diagnostic composite plot comprising the R-R interval plot, a near field view of a portion of the ECG data, and an intermediate field view of a different portion of the ECG data for diagnosis of a cardiac event; and
a display to present a presence of bradycardia via the R-R interval plot, comprising:
each R-R interval and associated heart rate represented as a point in the R-R interval plot; and
a baseline of the points having multiple spikes of the points representing intermittent episodes of elevated heart rate,
wherein an event of bradycardia is determined based on the presence in the display to facilitate diagnosis of a cardiac disorder of the patient.
9. A system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the y-axis has a range of 20 to 300 heartbeats per minute.
10. A system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the processor removes those R-R intervals that correspond to heart rates outside the range of the y-axis.
11. A system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the processor provides a background information plot presenting time of day with the diagnostic composite plot.
12. A system in accordance with claim 11 , wherein a further background information plot presenting one or more of activity amount, activity intensity, posture, syncope impulse detection, respiratory rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation (SpO2), blood carbon dioxide level (pCO2), glucose, lung wetness, and temperature is provided with the background information plot.
13. A system in accordance with claim 12 , wherein each of the background information plot and the further background information plot are provided as one of layered on top of the diagnostic composite plot and keyed to the diagnostic composite plot.
14. A system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the display displays the R-R interval plot with a temporal point of reference and at least one of the near field view and the intermediate field view display part of the ECG data preceding and following the temporal point of reference as context.
15. A method for facilitating a cardiac rhythm disorder diagnosis with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:
retrieving cutaneous action potentials of a patient recorded over a set period of time as ECG data via an ECG monitoring and recording device;
calculating a difference between recording times of successive pairs of R-wave peaks in the ECG data as R-R intervals and determines a heart rate associated with each time difference;
generating an R-R interval plot of the ECG data comprising the R-R intervals plotted along an x-axis of the plot representing time and a y-axis of the plot representing the heart rates associated with the R-R intervals plot, wherein the R-R interval plot is constructed with a non-linear scale for the heart rates determined in accordance with the equation:
y
=
(
x
-
min
bpm
max
bpm
-
min
bpm
)
n
where x is the time difference, min bpm is a minimum heart rate (in beats per minute), max bpm is a maximum heart rate, and n<1;
generating a diagnostic composite plot comprising the R-R interval plot, a near field view of a portion of the ECG data, and an intermediate field view of a different portion of the ECG data for diagnosis of a cardiac event and
displaying a presence of a cardiac event, comprising at least one of:
presenting a presence of sinus tachycardia via the R-R interval plot characterized by each R-R interval and associated heart rate represented as a point in the R-R interval plot and at least a portion of the points representing a baseline that spikes up and gradually slopes down with a wide tail reflecting a sharp rise of heart rates followed by a gradual decline; and
presenting a presence of bradycardia via the R-R interval plot characterized by each R-R interval and associated heart rate represented as a point in the R-R interval plot and a baseline of the points having multiple spikes of the points representing intermittent episodes of elevated heart rate, wherein an event of sinus tachycardia or bradycardia is determined based on the presence of the cardiac event in the display to facilitate diagnosis of a cardiac disorder of the patient.
16. A computer-readable storage medium storing code for executing according to the method of claim 15 .