Heartbeat rate measuring apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for monitoring the heartbeat rate of a patient comprising: sensor means for deriving electrical signals representative of heartbeat activity; conversion means for generating from said electrical signals signal values representative of heart activity on a beat-tobeat basis; means for continuously analyzing at least three successive signal values and for generating an output in comparing each a first and second one of said signal values and a second and third one of said signal values, falling within a predetermined frequency tolerance; gate means responsive to the output of the comparison means for selectively passing signal values from said conversion means; and, output means for averaging the passed ones of three successive signal values to provide an output indicative of heartbeat rate.

Claim 3

Apparatus for monitoring the heartbeat rate of a patient comprising: sensor means for deriving electrical signals representative of heartbeat activity; conversiOn means for generating from said electrical signals signal values representative of heart activity on a beat-to-beat basis; means for continuously analyzing at least three successive signal values by comparing a first and second one of said signal values and a second and third one of said signal values, within a predetermined frequency tolerance; means for passing only said signal values falling within the frequency tolerance; output means for averaging the passed signal values of three successive signal values to provide an output indicative of heartbeat; and, means for modifying the heartbeat rate during averaging three successive signal values if one of said signal values is not passed, to provide a visible indication.

Claim 4

Apparatus for monitoring the heartbeat rate of a patient comprising: sensor means for deriving electrical signals representative of heartbeat activity; conversiOn means for generating from said electrical signals signal values representative of heart activity on a beat-to-beat basis; means for continuously analyzing at least three successive signal values by comparing a first and second one of said signal values and a second and third one of said signal values, within a predetermined frequency tolerance; means for passing only said signal values falling within the frequency tolerance; output means for averaging the passed signal values of three successive signal values to provide an output indicative of heartbeat; and, means for modifying the heartbeat rate during averaging three successive signal values if one of said signal values is not passed, to provide a visible indication.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said conversion means includes a function generator for providing a signal value having a potential indicative of the rate of occurrence of the electrical signals on a beat-to-beat basis, and resetting means connected from said sensor means for resetting the function generator upon the presence of successive ones of said electrical signals.

Claim 6

Apparatus for determining the heartbeat rate of a patient comprising: sensor means for deriving electrical signals representative of heartbeat activity; conditioning means, for filtering said signals within a frequency range of substantially 100 Hz to 400 Hz and, for pulse shaping said electrical signals; conversion means for translating said conditioned signals into values indicative of heart activity on a beat-to-beat basis; comparison means for continuously comparing selective pairs from three successive ones of said values and for selectively generating an output in response to values lying within a preselected frequency tolerance; and gate means responsive the output of the comparison means for selectively passing signal values from the conversion means output means for averaging the passed values to provide an output indicative of heartbeat rate.

Claim 7

Apparatus for determining the heartbeat rate of a patient comprising: sensor means for deriving electrical signals representative of heartbeat activity; conditioning means, for filtering said signals within a frequency range of substantially 100 Hz to 400 Hz and, for pulse shaping said electrical signals; conversion means for translating said conditioned signals into values indicative of heart activity on a beat-to-beat basis; comparison means for continuously comparing selective pairs from three successive ones of said values and for selectively generating an output in response to values lying within a preselected frequency tolerance; and gate means responsive the output of the comparison means for selectively passing signal values from the conversion means output means for averaging the passed values to provide an output indicative of heartbeat rate.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 4 including: means connected from said comparison means for modifying the heartbeat rate output to indicate the occurrence of signal values not passed by the gate means.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said comparison means includes a first comparison means for comparing a first and second one of said values and a second comparison means for comparing a second and third one of said values.