Patent US4905706A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US4905706A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method an apparatus for detection of heart disease

Assignee: Nippon Colin Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1988-04-20
•
Granted: 1990-03-06
•
Expires: 2008-04-20
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A method and apparatus for detection of coronary artery disease. The apparatus records and analyzes that portion of the phonocardiogram lying between about 100 to 600 Hz. An electrocardiogram is also recorded and examined in order to pinpoint the diastolic window of PCG data. This window of data is subject to autocorrelation analysis and spectral analysis, resulting in a partial correlation coefficient index and a power density index. A linear combination of these two indices results in a Cardiac Screening Index which is indicative of the presence or absence of coronary artery disease.

Inventors

  • 👤 Bob M. Duff
  • 👤 Cynthia S. Gibson
  • 👤 Dean C. Winter
  • 👤 H. Herbert Peel

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 10:54
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B7/00; A61B7/02; A61B7/04; A61B5/00; A61B5/24; A61B5/316; A61B5/318; A61B5/333; A61B5/336

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 107 words
An apparatus for detecting heart disease from a cardiac acoustical signal consisting of a plurality of heartbeats, said apparatus comprising: means for converting the acoustical signal into an electrical signal; means for digitizing said electrical signal; and means for analyzing said digitized electrical signal, said analyzing means including: means for calculating an average difference between the third and fourth partial correlation coefficients of said plurality of heartbeats; means for determining the average power in said plurality of heartbeats; and means for correlating said average difference between said third and fourth partial correlation coefficients with said average power whereby the presence of coronary artery disease may be ascertained.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 107 words
An apparatus for detecting heart disease from a cardiac acoustical signal consisting of a plurality of heartbeats, said apparatus comprising: means for converting the acoustical signal into an electrical signal; means for digitizing said electrical signal; and means for analyzing said digitized electrical signal, said analyzing means including: means for calculating an average difference between the third and fourth partial correlation coefficients of said plurality of heartbeats; means for determining the average power in said plurality of heartbeats; and means for correlating said average difference between said third and fourth partial correlation coefficients with said average power whereby the presence of coronary artery disease may be ascertained.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 38 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said analyzing means analyzes only said digitized electrical signal corresponding to said cardiac acoustical signal which lies approximately between the third and fourth heart sounds of each of said plurality of heartbeats.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 63 words
The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising means for recording an electrocardiogram associated with said cardiac acoustical activity, said recording means operatively associated with said analyzing means for demarcating said cardiac acoustical activity by detecting the Q-R-S peaks in said electrocardiogram corresponding to each of said heartbeats, said analyzing means further capable of correlating said peaks with said third and fourth heart sounds.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 46 words
The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising means for filtering said cardiac acoustical activity, said filtering means being operatively connected to said digitizing means, whereby only that portion of said cardiac acoustical activity lying within the frequency range of approximately 100 to 600 Hertz is analyzed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 38 words
The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising means for graphically displaying said electrocardiogram whereby an operator may visually detect said Q-R-S peaks used to demarcate said cardiac acoustical activity, said displaying means operatively associated with said analyzing means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 27 words
The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising keyboard means for selecting analysis parameters utilized by said analyzing means, said keyboard means operatively associated with said analyzing means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 40 words
The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising means for recording ambient acoustical noise, said ambient noise acoustical recording means being operatively connected to said analyzing means whereby said ambient acoustical noise may be cancelled out from said cardiac acoustical activity.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 159 words
An apparatus for detecting heart disease comprising: a phonocardiogram microphone for detecting cardiac acoustical activity consisting of a plurality of heartbeats; electrodes for detecting an electrocardiogram associated with said cardiac acoustical activity; means for recording said cardiac acoustical activity and said electrocardiogram, said recording means being connected to said microphone and said electrodes; means for graphically displaying said electrocardiogram whereby Q-R-S peaks corresponding to said plurality of heartbeats may be displayed; means for correlating a given one of said Q-R-S peaks to a window of said cardiac acoustical activity, said window lying approximately between said third and fourth heart sounds; processor means for calculating an average difference between the third and fourth partial correlation coefficients associated with said plurality of heartbeats, for determining the average power in said plurality of heartbeats, and for correlating said average difference between said third and fourth partial correlation coefficients with said average power whereby the presence of coronary artery disease may be ascertained.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 159 words
An apparatus for detecting heart disease comprising: a phonocardiogram microphone for detecting cardiac acoustical activity consisting of a plurality of heartbeats; electrodes for detecting an electrocardiogram associated with said cardiac acoustical activity; means for recording said cardiac acoustical activity and said electrocardiogram, said recording means being connected to said microphone and said electrodes; means for graphically displaying said electrocardiogram whereby Q-R-S peaks corresponding to said plurality of heartbeats may be displayed; means for correlating a given one of said Q-R-S peaks to a window of said cardiac acoustical activity, said window lying approximately between said third and fourth heart sounds; processor means for calculating an average difference between the third and fourth partial correlation coefficients associated with said plurality of heartbeats, for determining the average power in said plurality of heartbeats, and for correlating said average difference between said third and fourth partial correlation coefficients with said average power whereby the presence of coronary artery disease may be ascertained.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 46 words
The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising means for filtering said cardiac acoustical activity, said filtering means being operatively connected to said processor means, whereby only that portion of said cardiac acoustical activity lying within the frequency range of approximately 100 to 600 Hertz is processed.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 20 words
The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising means for digitizing said cardiac acoustical activity before processing by said processor means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 23 words
The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising: a PCG amplifier connected to said phonocardiogram microphone; and an ECG amplifier connected to said electrodes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 28 words
The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising an acoustic microphone connected to said processor means whereby ambient acoustical noise may be cancelled out from said cardiac acoustical activity.
Claim 15
Independent Claim 251 words
An apparatus for detecting heart disease comprising: a phonocardiogram microphone for detecting cardiac acoustical activity consisting of plurality of heartbeats; electrodes for detecting an electrocardiogram associated with said cardiac acoustical activity; an acoustic microphone for cancelling out ambient acoustical noise from said cardiac acoustical activity; a PCG amplifier connected to said phonocardiogram microphone; an ECG amplifier connected to said electrodes; means for recording said cardiac acoustical activity and said electrocardiogram, said recording means being connected to said PCG and ECG amplifiers; a bandpass filter connected to said PCG amplifier, whereby only that portion of said cardiac acoustical activity lying within the frequency range of approximately 100 to 600 Hertz is passed; means for digitizing said cardiac acoustical activity and said electrocardiogram, said digitizing means being operatively connected to said bandpass filter and said ECG amplifier; means for graphically displaying said electrocardiogram whereby Q-R-S peaks corresponding to said plurality of heartbeats may be displayed; means for correlating a given one of said Q-R-S peaks to a window of said cardiac acoustical activity, said window lying approximately between said third and fourth heart sounds; and processor means connected to said digitizing means and said acoustic microphone for calculating an average difference between the third and fourth partial correlation coefficients associated with said plurality of heartbeats, for determining the average power in said plurality of heartbeats, and for correlating said average difference between said third and fourth partial correlation coefficients with said average power whereby the presence of coronary artery disease may be ascertained.
Claim 16
Independent Claim 251 words
An apparatus for detecting heart disease comprising: a phonocardiogram microphone for detecting cardiac acoustical activity consisting of plurality of heartbeats; electrodes for detecting an electrocardiogram associated with said cardiac acoustical activity; an acoustic microphone for cancelling out ambient acoustical noise from said cardiac acoustical activity; a PCG amplifier connected to said phonocardiogram microphone; an ECG amplifier connected to said electrodes; means for recording said cardiac acoustical activity and said electrocardiogram, said recording means being connected to said PCG and ECG amplifiers; a bandpass filter connected to said PCG amplifier, whereby only that portion of said cardiac acoustical activity lying within the frequency range of approximately 100 to 600 Hertz is passed; means for digitizing said cardiac acoustical activity and said electrocardiogram, said digitizing means being operatively connected to said bandpass filter and said ECG amplifier; means for graphically displaying said electrocardiogram whereby Q-R-S peaks corresponding to said plurality of heartbeats may be displayed; means for correlating a given one of said Q-R-S peaks to a window of said cardiac acoustical activity, said window lying approximately between said third and fourth heart sounds; and processor means connected to said digitizing means and said acoustic microphone for calculating an average difference between the third and fourth partial correlation coefficients associated with said plurality of heartbeats, for determining the average power in said plurality of heartbeats, and for correlating said average difference between said third and fourth partial correlation coefficients with said average power whereby the presence of coronary artery disease may be ascertained.
Claim 17
Independent Claim 136 words
A method of detecting heart disease comprising the steps of: recording cardiac acoustical activity consisting of a plurality of heartbeats; filtering out that portion of said cardiac acoustical activity lying outside of the frequency range of approximately 100 to 600 Hertz; analyzing a plurality of windows of said filtered cardiac acoustical activity lying approximately between the third and fourth heart sounds of each of said plurality of heartbeats, said analyzing step including the stops of: calculating an average difference between the third and fourth partial correlation coefficients associated with said windows, yielding a PARCOR Index; determining the average normalized power in said plurality of heartbeats, yielding a Power Index; and linearly combining said PARCOR and Power Indices to yield a Cardiac Screening Index, said Cardiac Screening Index being indicative of the presence of coronary artery disease.
Claim 18
Independent Claim 136 words
A method of detecting heart disease comprising the steps of: recording cardiac acoustical activity consisting of a plurality of heartbeats; filtering out that portion of said cardiac acoustical activity lying outside of the frequency range of approximately 100 to 600 Hertz; analyzing a plurality of windows of said filtered cardiac acoustical activity lying approximately between the third and fourth heart sounds of each of said plurality of heartbeats, said analyzing step including the stops of: calculating an average difference between the third and fourth partial correlation coefficients associated with said windows, yielding a PARCOR Index; determining the average normalized power in said plurality of heartbeats, yielding a Power Index; and linearly combining said PARCOR and Power Indices to yield a Cardiac Screening Index, said Cardiac Screening Index being indicative of the presence of coronary artery disease.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 45 words
The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of: recording an electrocardiogram associated with said cardiac acoustical activity; detecting the Q-R-S peak for each of said plurality of heartbeats; and utilizing said Q-R-S peaks to demarcate said windows of said filtered cardiac acoustical activity.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of digitizing said cardiac acoustical activity before said analyzing step.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of first digitizing said cardiac acoustical activity and said electrocardiogram before said analyzing step.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 35 words
The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of: recording ambient acoustical noise; digitizing said ambient acoustical noise; and cancelling out said ambient acoustical noise from said cardiac acoustical activity before said analyzing step.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3048166A Cited
US3052756A Cited
US3280817A Cited
US3762397A Cited
US4628939A Cited
US4450838A Cited
US4549552A Cited
US4586514A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-03-05 1993-09-04 1994-03-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-03-05 1997-09-04 1998-03-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-03-05 2001-09-04 2002-03-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag