ECG Signal Control for Extracorporeal Circulatory Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing extracorporeal circulatory support systems face challenges in maintaining accurate synchronization with the cardiac cycle due to signal artifacts from external influences, leading to potential misalignment of blood pump activation with the diastolic phase, which can result in inadequate perfusion of coronary arteries.
Innovation Solution
A control unit for extracorporeal circulatory support that evaluates ECG signals by determining signal differences between current and preceding time points, comparing them to a threshold value, and correcting signal levels to filter out artifacts, ensuring stable and accurate synchronization with the cardiac cycle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ECG measurement is reset or suspended when artifacts are detected, then false triggering is avoided, but synchronization control is lost for a period of time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes artifact portions from the ECG signal by detecting abnormal amplitude changes that exceed predefined thresholds. When artifacts are identified, only the contaminated signal segments are excluded while the rest of the ECG signal continues to be processed for synchronization control, thus maintaining continuous operation without full reset.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection and marking of artifact segments before they can cause false triggering. By identifying and flagging artifact portions in advance using amplitude threshold comparison, the system prepares the corrected signal pathway so that synchronization control can continue uninterrupted using the pre-validated signal segments.
2Measurement precision
If ECG signal is used for controlling blood pump synchronization, then precise timing is achieved, but signal artifacts from external influences cause misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of artifacts into a detectable signature by establishing that artifacts produce abnormal amplitude changes exceeding predefined thresholds. This allows the system to identify and exclude artifact-contaminated segments while utilizing the remaining clean signal portions for accurate R-wave detection and blood pump synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors ECG signal amplitude and compares it against threshold values to provide real-time feedback on signal quality. When artifacts are detected through amplitude deviation feedback, the system automatically adjusts by excluding the contaminated segments and continuing processing with validated signal portions, maintaining synchronization accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to control units for extracorporeal circulatory support as well as systems comprising such a control unit and corresponding methods. Accordingly, a control unit (10) for an extracorporeal circulatory support is suggested, which is configured to receive a measurement of an ECG signal (12) of a supported patient over a predetermined period of time and to provide said measurement for the extracorporeal circulatory support, wherein the ECG signal (12) comprises a signal level from at least one ECG lead (14A, 14B) for each time point within a cardiac cycle. The control unit (10) comprises an evaluation unit (16) which is configured to determine a signal difference (18) of a signal level of a current time point (12A) and a signal level of the preceding time point (12B) and to compare the signal difference (18) with a predetermined threshold value (20). The control unit (10) is further configured to provide the ECG signal (22) with a predetermined signal level (30) for the current time point and a predetermined number of subsequent time points (28), when the threshold value (20) is exceeded.