Patent ID: 8771197

Claim:
A method for detecting an error in an assigned starting point for a first individual heart beat cycle in a cardiac output related waveform, the method comprising: providing cardiac output related waveform data for the first individual heart beat cycle to a processing system, the first individual heart beat cycle having a predetermined starting point; using the processing system to determine a maximum value of the cardiac output related waveform data; using the processing system to determine a first point in the cardiac output related waveform, the first point being the first point on the cardiac output related waveform prior to the maximum value that has a value equal to one-half the maximum value; using the processing system to search the portion of the first individual heart beat cycle between the starting point and the first point for a local maximum, wherein if a local maximum is found, using the processing system to search the portion of the first individual heart beat cycle between the first point and the local maximum for a local minimum point, and reassigning the starting point for the first individual heart beat as the local minimum point.