Patent ID: 8380305

Claim:
A computer-assisted method for quantitative characterization and treatment of ventricular fibrillation, comprising: acquiring a time series of a ventricular fibrillation (VF) signal using a probe from a patient; subtracting a mean of the time series of the VF signal from the time series of the VF signal; calculating a cumulative VF signal by a computer system after the mean is subtracted from the time series of the VF signal; segmenting the cumulative VF signal by a plurality of sampling boxes by the computer system; calculating a trend in the cumulative VF signal in each of the plurality of sampling boxes; subtracting the trend from the cumulative VF signal in each of the plurality of sampling boxes to produce a detrended cumulative VF signal; calculating a root-mean-square of the detrended cumulative VF signal as a function of the sampling box size by the computer system; identifying a first region and a second region in the detrended cumulative VF signal separated by a crossover point, wherein the detrended cumulative VF signal in the first region and the second region have different exponents as a function of the sampling box size, wherein the second region has larger sampling box sizes than the first region; extracting, by the computer system, an exponent of the root-mean-square of the detrended cumulative VF signal in the second region as a function of the sampling box size; applying electrical defibrillation to the patient if the exponent is below a predetermined value; and applying cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to the patient if the exponent is above a predetermined value.