Abstract: An apparatus for diagnosing sleep apnea only uses an electrocardiogram signal and a computer processor and associated computer code that are configured to analyze the electrocardiogram signal and classify each time period of the electrocardiogram signal as either apneic or normal. A diagnostic measure of sleep apnea for the human patient is provided based on classification results obtained by combining a results for various electrocardiogram signal time periods. A computer-readable medium has computer code that causes the computer to analyze an electrocardiogram signal relating to the human patient and classify each time period in a set of time periods as either apneic or normal. A diagnostic measure of sleep apnea is provided based on classification results obtained by combining a plurality of results from the set of time periods using either time or frequency domain processing, or both.

Abstract: There is provided a method of determining a diagnostic measure of sleep apnea including the following steps: acquiring an electrocardiogram signal, calculating a set of RR intervals and electrocardiogram-derived respiratory signal from said electrocardiogram, and hence calculating a set of spectral and time-domain measurements over time periods including power spectral density, mean, and standard deviation. These measurements are processed by a classifier model which has been trained on a pre-existing data base of electrocardiogram signals to provide a probability of a specific time period containing apneic episodes or otherwise. These probabilities can be combined to form an overall diagnostic measure. The system also provides a system and apparatus for providing a diagnostic measure of sleep apnea.