Systems and techniques for managing biological signals. In one implementation, a method includes receiving a cardiac biological signal that includes information describing events, determining a merit of each event based on one or more of a severity of a cardiac condition associated with the event and a quality of the event, and handling a subset of the events that meet a merit criterion. The subset can be handled for medical purposes.

The present disclosure provides a system and method of determining a risk score for triage. In particular, a system is provided for providing an assessment of risk of a cardiac event for a patient, for example an incoming patient to a hospital emergency department complaining of chest pain. In the disclosure, the system includes an input device for measuring physiological data based vital signs parameter of the patient, a twelve-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) device for establishing an ECG obtained from results of the electrocardiography procedure, and determining an ECG parameter and a heart rate variability (HRV) parameter therefrom. An ensemble-based scoring system is further provided, establishing weighted classifier based on past patient data and where the vital signs parameter, the ECG parameter and the HRV parameter are compared to corresponding weighted classifiers to determine a risk score. A corresponding method to determine a risk score for triage is also provided.

The present disclosure pertains to cardiac pacing methods and systems, and, more particularly, to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). In particular, the present disclosure pertains to determining whether a patient is experiencing atrial fibrillation (AF). If the patient is experiencing AF, the efficacy of CRT is determined. A signal is sensed in response to a ventricular pacing stimulus. Through signal processing, a number of features are parsed from the signal and a determination is made as to whether the ventricular pacing stimulus evoked a response from the ventricle.

A medical device system and method for detecting dislodgement of a ventricular lead determines one or more characteristics of a cardiac signal received via the ventricular lead that are associated with dislodgement of the ventricular lead during atrial fibrillation, and detects dislodgement of the ventricular lead based on the determined characteristics. The medical device and system provides a lead dislodgment alert in response to detecting dislodgement. In some examples, an implantable medical device withholds delivery of a ventricular defibrillation therapy based on detecting dislodgement of the ventricular lead.

A method of determining atrial fibrillation includes determining if a patient's pulse beats form an irregular pattern. If so, presence of an irregular pulse is indicated to a patient and, an electrocardiogram is obtained for determining atrial fibrillation. Initially, a pulse is detected at regular time intervals from a first appendage when motionless, using a pulse detector and pulse rhythms from a succession of time intervals, each corresponding to a respective interval of time between successive pulse beats of a sequence of the pulse beats. Then, a second appendage makes contact with an electrically conductive unit, and electrocardiogram signals are detected simultaneously with pulse rhythms while the first appendage is motionless and both appendages are relaxed. The signals are then analyzed to determine whether, in combination, they are indicative of atrial fibrillation. If atrial fibrillation is determined not to be present based on analysis of said ECG, then the pulse analyzer is adjusted to not detect that pulse pattern as irregular.

A system including a sensor interface coupled to a processor. The sensor interface is configured to receive and process an analog electrocardiogram signal of a subject and provide a digitized electrocardiogram signal sampled over a first time period and a second time period that is subsequent to the first time period. The processor is configured to receive the digitized electrocardiogram signal, to analyze a frequency domain transform of the digitized electrocardiogram signal sampled over the first and second time periods and determine first and second metrics indicative of metabolic state of a myocardium of the subject during the first and second time periods, respectively, to compare the first and second metrics to determine whether the metabolic state of the myocardium of the subject is improving, and to indicate administration of an intervention to the subject in response to a determination that the metabolic state is not improving.

An apparatus includes a sensing circuit configured to generate a sensed physiological signal that includes physiological information of a subject, a detection circuit, and a control circuit. The detection circuit detects a physiological condition of a subject using the physiological signal. The control circuit stores sampled values of a segment of the physiological signal in temporary memory storage; and stores the sampled values in non-temporary storage in response to receiving an indication of continued detection of the physiological condition.

Medical devices and methods for using medical devices are disclosed. An example mapping medical device may include a catheter shaft with a plurality of electrodes. The catheter shaft may be coupled to a processor. The processor may be capable of collecting a first set of signals from a first location, collecting a second set of signals from a second location, characterizing the first set of signals over a first time period, characterizing the second set of signals over a second time period, comparing the first set of signals to the second set of signals and matching a first signal from the first set of signals with a second signal from the second set of signals.

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include a system for mapping the electrical activity of the heart. The system may include a catheter shaft with a plurality of electrodes. The system may also include a processor. The processor may be capable of collecting a set of signals from at least one of the plurality of electrodes. The set of signals may be collected over a time period. The processor may also be capable of calculating at least one propagation vector from the set of signals, generating a data set from the at least one propagation vector, generating a statistical distribution of the data set and generating a visual representation of the statistical distribution.

Disclosed herein are techniques for graphically indicating aspects of rotors (such as pivot points of rotors) associated with atrial or ventricular fibrillation. Embodiments can include receiving, using a processor, an electrogram for each of a plurality of spatial locations in a heart, each electrogram comprising time series data including a plurality of electrical potential readings over time. Embodiments can also include generating, from the time series data, one or more of multi-scale frequency (MSF), kurtosis, empirical mode decomposition (EMD), and multi-scale entropy (MSE) datasets, each dataset including a plurality of respective values or levels corresponding to the plurality of spatial locations in the heart. Also, examples can include generating, from the one or more datasets, a map including a plurality of graphical indications of the values or levels at the plurality of spatial locations in the heart, wherein the map can include an image of the heart and graphical indications of locations of aspects of rotors in the heart (such as pivot point of rotors).