Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Cardiovascular
Patent
1997-06-27
1998-11-24
Jastrzab, Jeffrey R.
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Cardiovascular
600521, A61B 50456
Patent
active
058400397
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus in connection with measuring the heartbeat rate of a person.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Heartbeat rate measurement is based on monitoring cardiac function. When contracting, a heart produces a series of electric pulses, which can be measured in a body. The measurement and analysis of such a signal is referred to as electrocardiography (ECG). The actual signal is referred to as an ECG signal. In an ECG signal, it is possible to distinguish phases resulting from different operational stages of the heart. These portions are the so-called P, Q, R, S, T and U-waves.
In known solutions, a heartbeat rate monitor shows on its display mainly average heartbeat rate information only, which is calculated as an average from a suitable number of single pulsations. However, there is need to render the heartbeat rate monitors more versatile. In existing heartbeat rate monitors which filter heartbeat rate, the averaging which levels instantaneous heartbeat rate variation prevents the heartbeat rate measurement information from being analyzed in more detail. In signal processing, averaging means low pass filtering, which as used in this connection cuts the fast variation signal away from the heartbeat rate signal. The known solutions do not provide sufficiently multi-faceted information.
Due to the variation in the sympathetic-parasympathetic balance of the autonomic nervous system, variations around the average heartbeat rate level occur constantly in heartbeat rate. The variation in heartbeat rate is caused by the function of the cardiovascular control system. The main reasons for the variation are respiratory arrhythmia, variation caused by blood pressure control, and variation caused by the heat balance control of the system. Among these, the most significant and causing the greatest variation is respiratory arrhythmia. The transmitting nervous systems of heartbeat rate variation can be distinguished by means of heartbeat rate variation frequency analysis. At the present time, the sympathetic nervous system is considered to be slow; it is hardly capable of transmitting frequencies higher than 0.15 Hz. Instead, the operation of the parasympathetic nervous system is fast, wherefore frequencies higher than the above-mentioned threshold frequency are transmitted through the parasympathetic nervous system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a new type of method and apparatus, with the use of which the problems associated with the known solutions are avoided.
The invention is characterized by what is defined in the claims below.
Many advantages are achieved with the invention. Measuring heartbeat rate variation and showing the measurement result on the display of the heartbeat rate monitor provide important additional information on the operation of a human body and nervous system, especially on the degree of relaxation of a human. By using heartbeat rate variation according to the invention for defining the degree of relaxation, it is possible to implement individual monitoring which is sufficiently multi-faceted and accurate for the needs of a person. The invention thus enables real-time and wireless monitoring of heartbeat rate variation, whereby the invention provides us with more information without difficult measurements carried out in laboratories. A great heartbeat rate variation is an indication that the parasympathetic nervous system functions, which generally corresponds to a relaxed state of a system. As for a small value, it indicates that the sympathetic nervous system is active, which is related to physical or mental stress. Thus, by measuring heartbeat rate variation, it is possible to monitor the state of the autonomic nervous system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following, the invention will be described in more detail by means of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
FIG. 1 shows the shape of an ECG signal
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Jastrzab Jeffrey R.
Polar Electro OY
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