Patent ID: 6862471
Filing Date: 2005-03-01
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method performed by an implantable cardiac stimulation device for analyzing a cardiac signal to generate information representative of the characteristics of R-waves and T-waves found therein, the method comprising: sensing a cardiac signal; identifying pairs of consecutive R-waves and T-waves within the cardiac signal; measuring values representative of characteristics of pairs of R-waves and T-waves; generating statistical information representative of the measured values, the statistical information including an average of each measured value; storing the statistical information generated for the measured values; sensing additional cardiac signals; identifying R-waves in the additional cardiac signals and then applying the stored averaged values to identify expected locations and durations of T-waves within the additional cardiac signals; blanking portions of an atrial channel of the additional cardiac signals to ignore signals occurring within a period of time corresponding to the expected locations and durations of T-waves; identifying an additional pair of consecutive R-waves and T-waves within the additional cardiac signals; measuring values representative of characteristics of the additional pair of R-waves and T-waves; determining an amount of variation between the measured values of the additional pair of R-waves and T-waves and the average of the measured values of previously identified pairs; and determining whether the amount of variation exceeds a predetermined threshold of variation and, if not, updating the statistics to reflect the measured values of the additional pair of R-waves and T-waves.