Abstract: A method for quantifying cardiac desynchrony of the right and left ventricles includes obtaining cardiac acquisition data from a medical imaging system, and determining a movement profile from the cardiac acquisition data. The movement profile is directed toward identifying at least one of a time-based contraction parameter for a region of the left ventricle (LV), and a displacement-based contraction parameter for a region of the LV. The determined movement profile is visually displayed by generating a 3D model therefrom.

Abstract: A method for acquiring a cardiac image from a patient having a paced heart rhythm, an abnormal EKG, or an irregular heartbeat, is disclosed. A gated electrocardiogram signal having local maxima and minima values and trigger points is received. For a period of time, the time between each trigger point and the associated local maxima or minima is determined. In response to the trigger point occurring at the associated local maxima or minima, a zero time differential for a corrected trigger for gating is calculated, and in response to the trigger point not occurring at the associated local maxima or minima, a time differential for the corrected trigger for gating based on the time difference between the trigger point and the associated local maxima or minima is calculated.

Abstract: A method of displaying a representation of a physiological signal produced by a patient. The method includes the acts of obtaining a portion of at least one physiological signal acquired from the patient, determining an area to display, and constructing a virtual image representing at least a portion of the patient. The virtual image including (M) polygonal areas. The method further includes transforming the obtained signal to a plurality of values, assigning each value to one of the (M) polygonal areas, assigning a visual characteristic to each polygonal area based in part on the assigned values, and displaying at least a portion of the virtual image including the assigned visual characteristics. The invention further provides a method of optimal feature selection for the classification of the physiological signals produced by a patient.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for differentiating among atrial-flutter, atrial-fibrillation and other cardiac rhythms. The method includes the steps of estimating a spectral entropy of atrial cardiac activity from an electrocardiogram of a patient and determining that the patient has atrial fibrillation when the spectral entropy is greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for differentiating among atrial-flutter, atrial-fibrillation and other cardiac rhythms. The method includes the steps of estimating a spectral entropy of atrial cardiac activity from an electrocardiogram of a patient and determining that the patient has atrial fibrillation when the spectral entropy is greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for signal averaging and analyzing high resolution P wave signals from an electrocardiogram. The method and apparatus for averaging the P wave portion of ECG signals includes sensing human ECG signals having at least a QRS portion and a P wave portion, detecting the QRS portion of the ECG signals, suppressing the QRS portion of the ECG signals, generating a P wave detection function from the wave portion of the ECG signals, cross correlating the P wave portions of the ECG signals and averaging the cross correlated P wave signals. The method and apparatus for analyzing high resolution P wave signals includes averaging at least a portion of the ECG signals, filtering the averaged signals, deriving the vector magnitude (VM) of the filtered averaged signals, determining the base noise level, and setting the P onset and P offset of the VM signals above the noise level.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for analyzing QT dispersions in ECG lead signals, comprising acquiring a plurality of ECG lead signals, filtering said signals to remove noise without distorting the T-wave morphology, determining critical T-wave marker points, and calculating QT dispersion and their heart rate corrected values from the determined markers. The apparatus comprises a processor programmed to perform these functions.