US5458116A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Display system and method for three-dimensional vectorcardiograms
Assignee: Draeger Medical Systems Inc
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Filing: 1994-03-30
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Granted: 1995-10-17
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Expires: 2014-03-30
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method for displaying a time history of a vectorcardiogram. The method enables a clinician to create a history of a three-dimensional vectorcardiogram from an arbitrary time axis and over an arbitrary time range. The apparatus allows the clinician to select a given viewpoint axis from a plurality of selectable viewpoint axes as well as the period of history to be displayed. The apparatus can also display multiple time histories simultaneously on the same display. This allows the display, side by side, of a traditional vectorcardiogram and the same vectorcardiogram as viewed from an arbitrary axis or time. This also enables the clinician to view a vectorcardiogram from various viewpoints simultaneously.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark S. Egler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 21:37
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/24; A61B5/316; A61B5/318; A61B5/339; A61B5/341
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
146 words
A method for allowing a user to controllably display at least one time history of a three-dimensional vectorcardiogram by displaying at least one time history trajectory, comprising: defining a three-dimensional field of reference for the vectorcardiogram; defining at least one time axis in the vectorcardiogram field of reference; defining a range of time values; assigning the range of time values to a segment of each at least one time axis; creating a time history trajectory for each at least one time axis by, for each time value in the defined range of time values, projecting the vectorcardiogram onto a plane perpendicular to the at least one time axis at the time value; user selection of a given viewpoint axis from a plurality of selectable viewpoint axes in the vectorcardiogram field of reference; and displaying each at least one time history trajectory from the selected viewpoint axis.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
146 words
A method for allowing a user to controllably display at least one time history of a three-dimensional vectorcardiogram by displaying at least one time history trajectory, comprising: defining a three-dimensional field of reference for the vectorcardiogram; defining at least one time axis in the vectorcardiogram field of reference; defining a range of time values; assigning the range of time values to a segment of each at least one time axis; creating a time history trajectory for each at least one time axis by, for each time value in the defined range of time values, projecting the vectorcardiogram onto a plane perpendicular to the at least one time axis at the time value; user selection of a given viewpoint axis from a plurality of selectable viewpoint axes in the vectorcardiogram field of reference; and displaying each at least one time history trajectory from the selected viewpoint axis.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said creating step creates a plurality of time histories which are simultaneously displayed; and said user selection step selects a different viewpoint axis for each time history displayed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 2, wherein after the step of displaying each time history trajectory, said user selection step controllably changes each selected viewpoint axes, whereby the perspective from which each time history is displayed is also controllably changed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said creating step creates a plurality of time histories which are simultaneously displayed; and said defining a range step defines a same range of time values for each time history displayed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said displaying step comprises projecting the time history trajectory onto a display plane perpendicular to the viewpoint axis.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said displaying step comprises projecting the time history trajectory into a three-dimensional volume; and said user selection step comprises user movement about said three-dimensional volume.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of defining a time axis in the vectorcardiogram field of reference comprises selecting a given time axis among a plurality of user selectable time axes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 7 wherein said step of defining a time axis in the vectorcardiogram field of reference comprises user selection of the different time axes for each time history displayed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 7, wherein after the step of displaying each time history trajectory, a user control step is provided for controllably changing each time axis, whereby projection of each time history trajectory is also controllably changed.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of defining a range of time values comprises user selection of a range of time values.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1 wherein after said step of displaying each at least one time history trajectory, at least one of the at least one time axis is controllably changed, whereby projection of the time history trajectory is also controllably changed.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1, wherein after the step of displaying each at least one time history trajectory, said user selection step changes the selected viewpoint axes, whereby the perspective from which the time history is displayed is also changed.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step of defining a three-dimensional field of reference comprises scaling the three-dimensional field of reference by a user selectable scaling-factor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step of displaying each time history trajectory comprises scaling the time history trajectory by a user selected zooming factor so that the user can increase or decrease the size of the displayed time history trajectory.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
126 words
An apparatus for displaying a time history of a three-dimensional vectorcardiogram by displaying at least one time history trajectory, comprising: a computing device, coupled to receive a three-dimensional vectorcardiogram, for calculating for sequential time values, a projection of the vectorcardiogram onto a plane perpendicular to a given time axis in a reference orientation at the sequential time values, thereby creating the at least one time history trajectory; a first user selection entry device, coupled to said computing device, for enabling a user to select a given viewpoint axis relative to the reference orientation among a plurality of user-selectable viewpoint axes; and a display device, coupled to said computing device, and responsive to said at least one created time history trajectory, for displaying said time history trajectory.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
126 words
An apparatus for displaying a time history of a three-dimensional vectorcardiogram by displaying at least one time history trajectory, comprising: a computing device, coupled to receive a three-dimensional vectorcardiogram, for calculating for sequential time values, a projection of the vectorcardiogram onto a plane perpendicular to a given time axis in a reference orientation at the sequential time values, thereby creating the at least one time history trajectory; a first user selection entry device, coupled to said computing device, for enabling a user to select a given viewpoint axis relative to the reference orientation among a plurality of user-selectable viewpoint axes; and a display device, coupled to said computing device, and responsive to said at least one created time history trajectory, for displaying said time history trajectory.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 15 additionally comprising a second user selection entry device, coupled to said computing device, for enabling the user to select the given time axis relative to the reference orientation among a plurality of user-selectable time axis.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 16 additionally comprising a third user selection entry device, coupled to said computing device, for enabling the user to assign a predetermined range of time sequential values to a segment of the given time axis.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the display device comprises a direct volume display device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the display device comprises a video display screen for showing a projection of the time history into a plane perpendicular to the viewpoint axis.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said computing device creates a plurality of time history trajectories, each time history trajectory having a different time axis, and said display device is coupled to be responsive to said created plurality of time history trajectories, for causing them to be simultaneously displayed.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
73 words
The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first user selection device selects a range of sequential viewpoint axes to be used for sequential display of each of said time history trajectories, said range extending from a viewpoint axis perpendicular to the time axis, whereby a single spatial dimension of the three-dimensional vectorcardiogram is displayed, to a viewpoint axis parallel to the time axis, whereby a two-dimensional projection of the three-dimensional vectorcardiogram is displayed.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
70 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first user selection device selects a range of sequential viewpoint axes to be used for sequential display of said time history, said range extending from a viewpoint axis perpendicular to the time axis, whereby a single spatial dimension of the three-dimensional vectorcardiogram is displayed, to a viewpoint axis parallel to the time axis, whereby a two-dimensional projection of the three-dimensional vectorcardiogram is displayed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5305202A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-10-16 | 1999-04-17 | 1999-10-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-10-16 | 2003-04-17 | 2003-10-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-10-16 | 2007-04-17 | 2007-10-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |