PVC Episode Detection With Prioritized ECG Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices inefficiently use power and memory resources by attempting to record and transmit all sensed physiological data, particularly cardiac events involving premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), which can be optimized by prioritizing which cardiac events are recorded and transmitted for review.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a medical device with a temporary buffer and longer-term memory system that prioritizes recording and transmitting ECG data based on the type and burden of PVC episodes, such as maximum burden, couplet, or triplet events, and their morphologies, using a first-in-first-out buffer for temporary storage and flash memory for longer-term storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all sensed physiological data is recorded and transmitted, then complete cardiac event data is captured, but power and memory resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the most critical PVC episode data (highest burden episodes, couplets, triplets) from the complete ECG dataset and transmits only that selected subset. This extraction principle allows the system to maintain reliable capture of critical cardiac events while significantly reducing power consumption by avoiding transmission of all data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating PVC episodes based on their characteristics (burden values, morphology, sequence patterns) and applying different transmission priorities. High-burden episodes and specific patterns (couplets, triplets) receive priority transmission, while lower-priority events are filtered out, optimizing the balance between data completeness and energy efficiency.
2Reliability
If all sensed physiological data is recorded and transmitted, then complete cardiac event data is captured, but memory resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only essential PVC episode characteristics (burden values, timing, morphology, sequence patterns) from the complete ECG data and stores only these summarized features in memory. This extraction approach maintains reliable capture of critical event information while dramatically reducing memory requirements compared to storing all raw ECG data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments PVC episodes into different categories (maximum burden episodes, couplets, triplets) and applies different storage priorities based on severity. This segmentation allows the system to allocate memory resources efficiently, ensuring critical events are captured while avoiding storage of redundant or low-priority data.
3Use of energy by moving object
If PVC episodes are prioritized for recording, then resource consumption is reduced, but data completeness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by analyzing individual PVC episode characteristics (burden values, morphology, temporal patterns) and applying selective transmission based on local event properties. This ensures that high-priority events with clinically significant characteristics are captured while lower-priority events are filtered, maintaining the balance between energy efficiency and information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors PVC episode characteristics and adjusts transmission decisions based on observed patterns. This feedback loop ensures that the prioritization algorithm adapts to patient-specific patterns, reducing the risk of losing clinically relevant information while maintaining resource efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes detecting that a first premature ventricular contraction (PVC) episode occurred within a first length of electrocardiogram (ECG) data. The method further includes recording the first length of ECG data to memory in response to the detecting. A second PVC episode is determined to have occurred after the first PVC episode and within a second length of ECG data, and the second PVC episode is determined to be either a first type of PVC episode or a second type of PVC episode. The method further includes determining whether to either overwrite the first length of ECG data or to separately record the second length of ECG data to the memory based, at least in part, on the determining that the second PVC episode is the first type of PVC episode or the second type of PVC episode.