6-lead ECG Serial Analysis for Structural Heart Disease Validation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for diagnosing progressive structural heart disease using 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) data are resource-intensive and burdensome for patients, requiring multiple appointments and expensive equipment, with echocardiograms often needed for validation, which can be invasive and costly.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing a 6-lead ECG to obtain and analyze ECG data at spaced intervals, allowing for serial analysis by a processor to validate signs of structural heart disease detected in 12-lead ECG data, reducing the need for resource-intensive tests and enabling home-based data collection with a less expensive and simpler device.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If 12-lead ECG and echocardiogram are used for diagnosis, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but resource consumption and patient burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediagnostic accuracyVSAvoidresource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The diagnostic process is segmented into two phases: initial screening using 12-lead ECG with AI algorithm, and conditional follow-up using 6-lead ECG for serial monitoring. This segmentation allows accurate diagnosis to be achieved only when necessary, reducing overall resource consumption while maintaining diagnostic reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A simplified 6-lead ECG device serves as an intermediary between the complex 12-lead ECG/echocardiogram system and home monitoring. This intermediary can perform serial analysis to validate disease progression, reducing the need for repeated expensive tests while maintaining diagnostic accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If 12-lead ECG is used for serial monitoring, then diagnostic precision is improved, but ease of operation and patient convenience deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediagnostic precisionVSAvoidpatient convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses a simpler, more portable 6-lead ECG device for serial monitoring instead of requiring the more complex 12-lead equipment. This cheaper, simpler device is sufficient for tracking disease progression over time, improving patient convenience while maintaining adequate measurement precision for validation purposes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Reliability

If echocardiogram is performed for validation, then diagnostic reliability is improved, but loss of time and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediagnostic reliabilityVSAvoidappointment time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary validation using 6-lead ECG serial analysis before requiring a full echocardiogram. By detecting disease progression trends through multiple 6-lead ECG measurements, the system can validate diagnoses without immediately resorting to time-consuming echocardiograms, reducing both time loss and costs while maintaining diagnostic reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Measurement precision

If multiple 12-lead ECG tests are performed, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time and productivity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement precisionVSAvoidmedical resource efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses partial action by performing serial analysis with the simpler 6-lead ECG device rather than repeating the full 12-lead ECG. This partial approach (using fewer leads) is sufficient for tracking disease progression and validating diagnoses, improving medical resource efficiency while maintaining adequate measurement precision for the intended purpose.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4398262A1Systems for diagnosis structural heart disease based on electrocardogram data
Publication Date: 2024.07.10 GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC
  • EP4398262A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4398262A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4398262A1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

A system for diagnosing a progressive structural heart disease including a 6-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), a 12-lead ECG, and an analysis device. The analysis device including a processor configured to obtain 12-lead ECG data corresponding to a patient, analyze the 12-lead ECG data for signs of the progressive structural heart disease; based on the 12-lead ECG data indicating the disease: obtain multiple sets of 6-lead ECG data corresponding to the patient, the multiple sets of 6-lead ECG data being obtained during spaced apart time intervals to show changes over time; perform serial analysis on the multiple sets of the 6-lead ECG data to validate the indicated progressive structural heart disease; and control an operation of the detection device based on a result of the analysis.