Chest Rotation Spectral Analysis for Cardiac Condition Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for detecting cardiac abnormalities such as myocardial infarction and other conditions like myocarditis or pericarditis are inadequate for individuals outside medical settings, as they require specialized equipment and personnel, and often misdiagnose symptoms of heartburn as severe cardiac issues.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus using a gyroscope or rotation sensor to measure chest rotation, analyzing energy spectral density (ESD) for cardiac indicators, enabling detection of cardiac conditions like myocardial infarction and tachycardia through energy spectral analysis, and a computer program for processing these signals to provide diagnostic information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If echocardiography is used to provide comprehensive information about heart structure and function, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical imaging systems (echocardiography) with a simplified sensor-based system that measures cardiovascular motion using accelerometers and other sensors. This substitution maintains diagnostic capability while dramatically reducing equipment complexity and cost, allowing use in non-specialized settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified copies of complex cardiac assessment capabilities through sensor measurements of cardiovascular motion. Instead of requiring full echocardiographic imaging, the system captures essential diagnostic information through motion sensors, providing a simplified but effective alternative for detecting cardiac abnormalities.
2Speed
If ECG is used for rapid electrical assessment of the heart, then speed is improved, but information completeness deteriorates as it provides no information about forces of contraction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges electrical assessment (ECG) with mechanical motion assessment (cardiovascular motion sensors) into a single integrated system. This combination preserves the speed advantage of ECG while adding the mechanical contraction information that ECG alone cannot provide, creating a more comprehensive diagnostic tool.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional assessment system that simultaneously provides electrical cardiac activity monitoring and mechanical contraction force measurement. This universal system can detect both electrical abnormalities and mechanical dysfunction, making it more versatile than either ECG or motion sensing alone.
3Measurement precision
If traditional cardiography methods are used in medical settings, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to requirement of specialised medical personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service cardiac monitoring through automated sensor systems that require no specialized medical personnel for operation. The system automatically captures cardiovascular motion data, processes it through algorithms, and generates diagnostic information, allowing individuals to monitor their own cardiac health or for use in remote locations without specialists.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex medical imaging equipment requiring specialized operators with simple sensor-based motion detection systems. This substitution maintains diagnostic accuracy while eliminating the need for specialized personnel, as the automated system handles all processing and interpretation.
4Reliability
If healthcare resources are allocated to respond to all chest symptom cases, then reliability of cardiac condition detection is improved, but productivity of healthcare system deteriorates due to severe overloading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies localized diagnostic assessment specifically targeted at detecting cardiac abnormalities through cardiovascular motion analysis. Rather than requiring comprehensive medical evaluation for all chest symptoms, the system provides focused cardiac-specific monitoring that can quickly identify true cardiac cases versus non-cardiac causes like heartburn, allowing healthcare resources to be allocated more efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables preliminary cardiac assessment through automated sensor monitoring before patients seek emergency care. By providing early detection and preliminary diagnosis capabilities, the system can identify true cardiac emergencies that require immediate attention while filtering out non-emergency cases, allowing healthcare systems to prepare resources more effectively and reduce unnecessary emergency responses.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate, portable detection of cardiac conditions without specialized medical personnel, distinguishing between heartburn and severe cardiac issues, and providing timely intervention.
Implementation Method 1
A method and apparatus using a gyroscope or rotation sensor to measure chest rotation
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for producing information indicative of cardiac condition comprises a processing system (301) for receiving a rotation signal indicative of rotational movement of a chest. The processing system is configured to form one or more indicator quantities each being derivable from an energy spectral density based on one or more samples of the rotation signal, where each sample has a temporal length. The processing system is configured to determine an indicator of cardiac condition on the basis of the one or more indicator quantities. The determination of the cardiac condition is based on that for example myocardial infarction causes changes in the energy spectral density. Thus, it is possible to distinguish between for example myocardial infarction and plain heartburn.