METHOD AND DEVICE FOR NONINVASIVE RECORDING ELECTROPHYSIOLOGIC HEART CHARACTERISTICS Russian patent published in 1996 - IPC

FIELD: medicine. SUBSTANCE: method involves arranging a set of electrodes on the chest surface, measuring biopotentials generated by the heart, interpolating synchronous potential distributions, calculating electrophysiologic heart characteristics and representing the results in cartographic form. The electrode set is arranged over the chest surface according to a scheme taking into account body symmetry and anatomical reference objects. One electrode is placed on the left leg, the other one is placed on the neck. Adaptive spatial interpolation of biopotentials measurement results is carried out by their expanding in series over the spatial spheric functions according to individual chest form. Epicardial potential distribution is calculated and synchronous potential distributions over the heart surface are determined for main electrophysiologic ventricle walls states in excitation using thin-walled heart ventricle electric generator model. The basic electrophysiologic characteristics like activation coming time, activation duration, repolarization acceleration are calculated. Distribution calculation result is represented in cartographic form using anatomical heart surface reference objects, coloring method and kinematization. The device has electrodes for recording biopotentials, biopotentials amplifiers, commutator unit, analog-to-digital converter and computer, electromagnetic signal transmitter and receiver, encoder and decoder units. The electrodes, biopotentials amplifiers, commutator unit, analog-to-digital converter, encoder, electromagnetic signal transmitter are arranged over the patient body. Amplifier inputs are connected to electrode outputs and amplifier outputs are connected to commutator input. Commutator output is connected to encoder input through the analog-to-digital converter. The analog-to-digital converter output is connected to the transmitter input. Receiving recording unit is set some distance away from patient. The electromagnetic signal transmitter as a part of the receiving recording unit is connected to the computer through decoder. The number of electrodes is not less than 30. The electrodes are arranged over patient by means of rubber ribbons and ropes which ends are attached to two vertical strips connectable to each other in tightening the rubber ribbons around the patient chest and positioning one strip over another. The electrodes for recording biopotentials are manufactured from dielectric material and fixed on rubber ribbon or ropes together with biopotential amplifiers by means of leaf-spring-like plates. EFFECT: wider range of applications; improved functional characteristics. 5 cl, 4 dwg