Cardiac Rate Measurement Selective Activation for T-Wave Overdetection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cardiac rhythm management devices face challenges in accurately measuring cardiac rates due to issues like T-wave overdetection, which can lead to unnecessary therapy delivery and data overload, highlighting the need for alternative methods to integrate multiple cardiac activity sources effectively.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a system that selectively activates a second cardiac rate measurement when needed, using different data sources such as spectral content, blood pressure, or heart sounds, and incorporates decision phases to correct and discard or replace data, thereby reducing overdetection and improving accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If cardiac cycle detection is used as the default approach to track cardiac activity, then the device can continuously monitor heart rate with low power consumption, but it may produce inaccurate measurements due to T-wave overdetection and other detection errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecardiac rate measurement accuracyVSAvoidmeasurement methodology complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple cardiac rate measurement methodologies (cardiac cycle detection, spectral analysis, and alternative data sources) into a unified system that integrates their strengths while mitigating individual weaknesses through cross-validation and selective activation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes measurement parameters by switching between different measurement methodologies based on detected conditions, such as activating spectral analysis when arrhythmia is detected or when cycle detection confidence is low

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If a second cardiac rate measurement methodology is continuously activated to improve accuracy, then measurement reliability increases, but power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecardiac rate measurement reliabilityVSAvoiddevice power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the activation state of different measurement methodologies based on real-time cardiac conditions, transitioning between low-power cycle detection and higher-power alternative methods only when clinically indicated

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs periodic activation of the second cardiac rate measurement methodology at scheduled intervals or in response to specific triggers, rather than continuous operation, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining measurement reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Measurement precision

If multiple cardiac rate measurement methodologies are integrated, then measurement accuracy and reliability improve, but the quantity of data and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecardiac rate measurement precisionVSAvoiddata volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and utilizes only the essential and relevant features from multiple measurement methodologies, discarding redundant data while preserving critical information needed for accurate cardiac rate determination and arrhythmia detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Productivity

If cardiac cycle detection is used to detect individual beats, then the device can provide continuous rate monitoring, but it may lead to unnecessary therapy delivery due to overdetection errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous monitoring capabilityVSAvoidunnecessary therapy delivery

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the second cardiac rate measurement methodology validates or corrects detections from cycle detection, creating a closed-loop system that reduces false positives and prevents unnecessary therapy delivery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies preliminary correction and validation steps using alternative measurement methods before committing to therapy delivery decisions, thereby preventing harmful unnecessary therapy by anticipating and counteracting potential detection errors

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS10426405B2Methods and devices combining multiple cardiac rate measurements with activation and arrhythmia analysis correction

Publication Date: 2019.10.01 CARDIAC PACEMAKERS INC

AI summary

In some examples, cardiac cycle detection may be used as a more or less default approach to cardiac activity tracking. Additional rate measurement relying on different sources or analyses may require extra power consumption over the cycle detection methods. Therefore, new methods and devices are disclosed that selectively activate a second cardiac rate measurement when needed. In some illustrative methods and devices, decisions are made as to whether and which previously collected data, if any, is to be discarded, replaced, or corrected upon activation of the second cardiac rate measurement.