Wearable ECG Grouping Module for Clinical Review Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable medical devices (WMDs) face challenges in efficiently processing and filtering electrocardiogram (ECG) data, leading to clinicians having to sift through large volumes of irrelevant information to identify relevant heart rhythm issues, such as arrhythmias, which can be caused by noise or electrode issues, increasing the burden of review.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a configurable comparator module (CCM) within WMD systems that captures and groups ECG data based on predetermined parameters, allowing for concurrent display of similar episodes, thereby reducing the clinical review burden by enabling assessment of one representative episode to apply to a group of similar episodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If WMD captures and stores all ECG data for continuous monitoring, then monitoring completeness is improved, but data volume increases causing clinicians to spend excessive time reviewing irrelevant information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments ECG data into distinct episodes based on detected arrhythmia events, separating clinically relevant data from continuous baseline data. This segmentation allows clinicians to review only discrete episode segments rather than entire continuous monitoring periods, significantly reducing review time while maintaining detection completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and isolates specific arrhythmia episodes from the continuous ECG data stream, pulling out only the clinically relevant portions for review. By extracting these discrete episodes and presenting them separately, the system eliminates the need for clinicians to sift through irrelevant continuous data, reducing review burden while preserving all important events.
2Measurement precision
If WMD stores all detected episodes including noise and artifacts, then detection sensitivity is improved, but information quality deteriorates due to irrelevant data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different quality standards and processing approaches to different portions of ECG data based on local characteristics. Relevant arrhythmia episodes receive detailed preservation and analysis, while noise and artifact portions are identified and handled differently. This local quality approach ensures high information quality for clinically important data without being degraded by irrelevant portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the presence of noise and artifacts into a benefit by using them as training data for machine learning algorithms. These irrelevant portions help the system learn to distinguish true arrhythmia events from false positives, thereby improving detection sensitivity while preventing noise from degrading overall information quality in clinical reviews.
3Adaptability or versatility
If WMD processes and stores large volumes of ECG data, then monitoring coverage is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary processing and classification of ECG data at the time of acquisition, identifying and tagging arrhythmia episodes as they occur. This preliminary action organizes data into structured episodes with metadata before storage, simplifying subsequent retrieval and review processes. The complexity is managed upfront rather than accumulating during review, enabling comprehensive monitoring coverage with controlled processing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies and implementations related to facilitating grouping of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals of a heart of a person (e.g., patient) wearing a wearable medical device (WMD). The ECG signals may be acquired during various times (e.g., during a normal rhythm of the heart and/or during an event of the rhythm of the heart) including various times of activity of the person (e.g., sleeping, awake, active, inactive, etc.). The ECG signals may be received and analyzed to determine if the ECG signals may be indicative of an event associated with a heart of the person or not.