VCG Vector Loop Bifurcation Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current cardiac diagnosis methods, particularly ECG measurements, struggle to accurately predict impending acute degeneration of a patient's medical condition, such as cardiac arrest, due to limitations in analyzing T wave bifurcation and temporal pattern variability.

Innovation Solution

A wearable defibrillator system with multiple ECG leads and a computing device that generates orthogonal ECG vectors to determine loop trajectories, identifies trajectory bifurcation through statistical analysis, and detects impending acute degeneration by comparing current and historical loop trajectories, enabling early prediction and treatment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional ECG measurement and interpretation methods are used, then the diagnostic process is simple and widely applicable, but the ability to accurately predict impending acute degeneration such as cardiac arrest is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprediction accuracy of cardiac eventsVSAvoidcomplexity of analysis system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms traditional scalar ECG waveforms into vector-based loop trajectories by generating orthogonal ECG vectors (X, Y, Z components) that represent cardiac electrical activity in three-dimensional space. This dimensional transformation enables the detection of T wave bifurcation and temporal pattern variability that are not apparent in conventional two-dimensional ECG displays, thereby improving prediction accuracy of cardiac events while maintaining computational feasibility through standardized vector calculations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis by continuously monitoring and storing loop trajectory data over time, establishing baseline patterns of normal cardiac electrical activity. By pre-processing ECG signals into orthogonal vectors and maintaining historical trajectory records, the system prepares prediction-ready data structures that enable rapid detection of deviations indicating impending cardiac events, reducing the computational burden during critical prediction moments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If loop trajectory analysis with orthogonal ECG vectors is implemented, then the prediction accuracy of cardiac events improves, but the computational complexity and data processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of T wave bifurcation detectionVSAvoidcomplexity of vector processing system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex three-dimensional loop trajectory analysis into manageable components by separately processing orthogonal ECG vectors (X, Y, Z) and then combining them for bifurcation detection. The analysis is divided into distinct phases: signal acquisition, orthogonal vector generation, loop trajectory construction, and bifurcation comparison. This segmentation reduces computational complexity by allowing independent processing of each vector component using standard ECG lead configurations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces loop trajectories as an intermediary representation that bridges raw ECG signals and final bifurcation detection results. By transforming orthogonal vectors into closed-loop trajectories in three-dimensional space, the system creates a visual and computational intermediate form that simplifies the detection of T wave alternans and temporal patterns. This intermediary representation enables intuitive comparison between baseline and current cardiac states through trajectory superposition and deviation analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3721794B1VCG vector loop bifurcation
Publication Date: 2022.02.23 ZOLL MEDICAL CORPORATION
  • EP3721794B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3721794B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3721794B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A system for determining T wave bifurcation that includes three or more ECG leads configured to receive an ECG signal and a first computing device including a processor coupled to a memory, the processor and the memory configured to perform operations including: generating at least two orthogonal ECG vectors based on the ECG signal of a patient, processing the at least two orthogonal ECG vectors to determine a loop trajectory of at least a portion of the ECG signal, identifying a trajectory bifurcation by comparing the loop trajectory to a control loop trajectory for a plurality of cardiac cycles, and determining an indicator of a cardiac event based on the trajectory bifurcation.