Abstract: Methods for determining a cardiovascular parameter reflecting fluid or volume changes and for detecting arrhythmia are disclosed. These methods involve receiving a waveform dataset corresponding to an arterial blood pressure, pulseox, Doppler ultrasound or bioimpedance signal and analyzing the waveform to detect premature ventrical or atrial contractions. Premature ventrical or atrial contractions are detected, for example, by comparing parameters of individual cardiac cycles to the parameters of other or average cardiac cycles. If any premature ventrical or atrial contractions are present, they are removed from the waveform dataset. Once any the premature ventrical or atrial contractions are removed, a cardiovascular parameter reflecting fluid or volume changes using the modified waveform dataset is calculated. In the method for determining arrhythmia, if the number of premature ventrical or atrial contractions exceeds a predetermined arrhythmia threshold, a user such as a medical professional is notified.

Abstract: Ventricular stroke volume variation (SVV) is estimated as a function of the standard deviation of arterial blood pressure value measured over each of at least two cardiac cycles, preferably over each of the cardiac cycles in a computation interval covering a full respiratory cycle. In one embodiment, maximum and minimum standard deviation values are determined over the computation interval. SVV is then estimated proportional to the ratio of the difference between the maximum and minimum standard deviation values and the mean of the standard deviation values. In another embodiment, SVV is then estimated proportional to the ratio of the standard deviation of the standard deviation values and the mean standard deviation over the entire computation interval. A pre-processing arrangement for improving reliability of estimates of more general cardiac or hemodynamic parameters is also disclosed and involves smoothing with an approximating function, and sampling and low-pass filtering at an adjustable rate.

Abstract: Ventricular stroke volume variation (SVV) is estimated as a function of the standard deviation of arterial blood pressure value measured over each of at least two cardiac cycles, preferably over each of the cardiac cycles in a computation interval covering a full respiratory cycle. In one embodiment, maximum and minimum standard deviation values are determined over the computation interval. SVV is then estimated proportional to the ratio of the difference between the maximum and minimum standard deviation values and the mean of the standard deviation values. In another embodiment, SVV is then estimated proportional to the ratio of the standard deviation of the standard deviation values and the mean standard deviation over the entire computation interval. A pre-processing arrangement for improving reliability of estimates of more general cardiac or hemodynamic parameters is also disclosed and involves smoothing with an approximating function, and sampling and low-pass filtering at an adjustable rate.

Abstract: A cardiovascular parameter such as cardiac output is estimated from a current pressure waveform data set without needing to directly measure blood flow or arterial compliance. The general shape of an input flow waveform over one beat-to-beat cycle is assumed (or computed), and then the parameters of a flow-to-pressure model, if not pre-determined, are determined using system identification techniques. In one embodiment, the parameters thus determined are used to estimate a current peripheral resistance, which is used not only to compute an estimate of the cardiovascular parameter, but also to adjust the shape of the input flow waveform assumed during at least one subsequent beat-to-beat cycle. Another embodiment does not require computation of the peripheral resistance and still another embodiment computes a flow estimate from an optimized identification of the parameters defining the assumed input flow waveform.

Abstract: Ventricular stroke volume variation (SVV) is estimated as a function of the standard deviation of arterial blood pressure value measured over each of at least two cardiac cycles, preferably over each of the cardiac cycles in a computation interval covering a full respiratory cycle. In one embodiment, maximum and minimum standard deviation values are determined over the computation interval. SVV is then estimated proportional to the ratio of the difference between the maximum and minimum standard deviation values and the mean of the standard deviation values. In another embodiment, SVV is then estimated proportional to the ratio of the standard deviation of the standard deviation values and the mean standard deviation over the entire computation interval. A pre-processing arrangement for improving reliability of estimates of more general cardiac or hemodynamic parameters is also disclosed and involves smoothing with an approximating function, and sampling and low-pass filtering at an adjustable rate.