| abstract |
A continuous electrical wave representing the electrical action of a patient''s heart is produced (the ECG wave). Frequency components of the ECG wave that lie predominantly below the frequency range of the normal QRS complex are sensed, these frequency components being typically in the range of about two Hertz to about eight Hertz. These frequency components are integrated upon the occurrence of a QRS complex, and the magnitude of the result is then compared to a reference standard. If the magnitude of the integral exceeds the reference standard an output signal indicative of a cardiac arrhythmia is then produced. |