Arrangement for analyzing irregularities in repetitive biological processes

Claim 3

In a biomedical analyzer: means for generating a sequence of characteristic impulses corresponding to the successive occurrences of one principal component of a repetitive biomedical process to be analyzed; classifying means coupled to the output of the generating means and comprising, in combination, means responsive to the generation of each characteristic impulse for triggering a fixed pattern of successive pulses of predetermined length representative of successive predetermined time zones, and means responsive to the triggering means for producing, in synchronism with each characteristic impulse, one of a plurality of unique indications determined solely by the time zone in which such characteristic impulse is generated relative to the generation of a preceding characteristic impulse; and computing means coupled to the output of the classifying means and comprising, in combination, means for detecting the occurrence, within the succEssion of indications from the classifying means, of any of T predetermined sequences of the indications, wherein one of such predetermined sequences corresponds to a normal course of the process and the remaining predetermined sequences correspond uniquely to separate recognized irregularities in the process; a first output; T parallel second outputs; first means coupled to the output of the detecting means for exciting the first output at the start of any detected one of the predetermined sequences; and second means coupled to the detecting means for exciting a unique one of the T second outputs at the termination of an associated one of the detected predetermined sequences.

Claim 4

In a biomedical analyzer: means for generating a sequence of characteristic impulses corresponding to the successive occurrences of one principal component of a repetitive biomedical process to be analyzed; classifying means coupled to the output of the generating means and comprising, in combination, means responsive to the generation of each characteristic impulse for triggering a fixed pattern of successive pulses of predetermined length representative of successive predetermined time zones, and means responsive to the triggering means for producing, in synchronism with each characteristic impulse, one of a plurality of unique indications determined solely by the time zone in which such characteristic impulse is generated relative to the generation of a preceding characteristic impulse; and computing means coupled to the output of the classifying means and comprising, in combination, means for detecting the occurrence, within the succEssion of indications from the classifying means, of any of T predetermined sequences of the indications, wherein one of such predetermined sequences corresponds to a normal course of the process and the remaining predetermined sequences correspond uniquely to separate recognized irregularities in the process; a first output; T parallel second outputs; first means coupled to the output of the detecting means for exciting the first output at the start of any detected one of the predetermined sequences; and second means coupled to the detecting means for exciting a unique one of the T second outputs at the termination of an associated one of the detected predetermined sequences.

Claim 5

An analyzer as defined in claim 2, further comprising recording means coupled to the outputs of the computing means and to the output of the generating means for individually displaying each output of the computing means in synchronism with the impulse at the output of the generating means.

Claim 6

An analyzer as defined in claim 3, in which the outputs of the computing means are binary stages of successively higher order, and in which the recording means comprises, in combination, a pen recorder having a pen amplifier and a time-base drive, a digital-to-analog converter, means for coupling the outputs of the binary stages to the input of the converter, means for coupling the output of the converter to the input of the pen amplifier, and means for coupling the output of the generating means to the input of the time-base drive.

Claim 7

An amplifier as defined in claim 3, in which the recording means comprises, in combination, a printout device having a plurality of first channels for individually indicating the presence of an input to each first channel, a second channel for displaying the numerical value of a quantity applied to the input of the second channel, a digital-to-analog converter, means for coupling the output of the converter to the input of the second channel, means for individually coupling the outputs of the computing means to the inputs of the first channels, a binary counter, means for coupling the output of the generating means to the input of the counter, means for coupling the output of the counter to the input of the converter, and means rendered effective upon the presence of an output from the computing means for resetting the counter.

Claim 8

An analyzer as defined in claim 2, in which the classifying means comprises a plurality of multi-input coincidence gates having one input coupled to the output of the generating means, the outputs of the coincidence means constituting the outputs of the classifying means.

Claim 9

An analyzer as defined in claim 6, in which the classifying means further comprises, in combination, first and second monostable multivibrators each having complementary outputs, first means for simultaneously triggering the first and second multivibrators upon each successive output of the generating means, the first and second multivibrators being responsive when triggered for individually generating pulses having durations of TL and TH, respectively, where TL<TH, and means for selectively coupling the outputs of the first and second multivibrators to inputs of predetermined ones of the coincidence gates.

Claim 10

An analyzer as defined in claim 7, in which the classifying means further comprises, in combination, third and fourth monostable multivibrators having complementary outputs, second means for normally simultaneously triggering the third and fourth multivibrators upon each successive output of the generating means, the third and fourth multivibrators being responsive when triggered for individually generating pulses having durations of TL and TH, respectively, means rendered effective during the occurrence of a pulse at the output of the third multivibrator for inhibiting the second triggering means, and means for selectively connecting the outputs of the third and fourth multivibrators to inpUts of predetermined ones of the coincidence gates.

Claim 11

An analyzer as defined in claim 8, in which the classifying means further comprises, in combination, fifth and sixth monostable multivibrators having inputs coupled to the output of the fourth multivibrator, the fifth and sixth multivibrators being triggerable at the conclusion at each pulse at the output of the fourth multivibrator for individually producing pulses having durations of K1TH and K2TL, respectively, where K1 < or = 1 and K2 < or = 1, and means for selectively connecting the outputs of the fifth and sixth multivibrators to inputs of predetermined ones of the coincidence gates.

Claim 12

An analyzer as defined in claim 9, in which the classifying means further comprises, in combination, a bistable multivibrator having complementary outputs; means rendered effective upon an output of a selected one of the coincidence gates for triggering a first input of the bistable multivibrator; means rendered effective upon the occurrence of an impulse from the generating means following the triggering of the first input of the bistable multivibrator for triggering a second input thereof; and means for selectively coupling the outputs of the bistable multivibrator to inputs of predetermined ones of the coincidence gates.

Claim 13

An analyzer as defined in claim 10, in which the classifying means further comprises means associated with each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth monostable multivibrators for establishing the above-mentioned durations of the pulses at their respective outputs when their respective active inputs are triggered.

Claim 14

A method as defined in claim 1, in which the establishing step is accomplished by triggering the start of a first one of the time zones at a predetermined time after the occurrence of each characteristic impulse, and triggering the start of a second one of the time zones at a predetermined time after the termination of the first time zone, whereby a third one of the time zones is defined between the time of occurrence of said characteristic impulse and the start of the first time zone and a fourth one of the time zones is defined between the termination of the first time zone and the start of the second time zone, the occurrence of the next characteristic impulse within the first time zone indicating a normal category and the occurrence of such next characteristic impulse in one of the remaining time zones indicating a corresponding one of a plurality of abnormal categories.

Claim 15

A method as defined in claim 1, in which at least five time zones are defined during the establishing step.