All-digital, real-time preprocessor for automated analysis of cardiac action potentials

Abstract

Automated analysis of cardiac action potentials was implemented in real-time by an all-digital system using three digital signal microprocessors. The system does not need frequent adjustment and proper calibration. It also allows the results to be immediately available thus making interactive procedures possible. The preprocessor samples the analog signal at 1 μs fixed intervals and automatically determines both the signal smoothing and the local line segment signal approximation. In the course of the acquisition, the processed data can be transferred into a digital-to-analog converter and/or directly into a VRAM to visualize the acquisition results in real-time. Moreover, the multiprocessor configuration allows the preprocessor to transfer the results to a powerful host for more complex computation.