Personal computer-based method for detection of ventricular late potentials

A personal computer-based method for detection of ventricular late potentials using a new algorithm was developed. Bipolar orthogonal leads are used to obtain a surface ECG (electrocardiographic) signal from the patient. The signal is amplified, bandpass filtered, and A/D (analog-to-digital) converted. Standard ECG leads are used for the generation of a trigger signal connected to the second channel of the A/D converter. Out of the digitized file, the sorting program selects the regions of interest of the signal (from 100 ms before the trigger signal to 400 ms after it) and discards the rest. Subsequently, it sorts all heart beats according to their frequencies. In this way, jitter is practically eliminated because, after averaging, ventricular late potentials can be detected in heart cycles of identical or similar length. Thus analysis of premature beats and of recordings of patients with absolute arrhythmia is made possible