Abstract
A new computerized system has been developed for the quantitative analysis of the ST-T pattern of the exercise electrocardiogram in patients with coronary heart disease. In our system, pertinent parameters which represent the configuration of the initial portion of the ST-T segment : were obtained by computer using the second order function fitting; f (t) = at2+bt+c. Before this procedure, smoothing by the moving average method and computer average of the electrocardiogram were also performed to minimize the influences of the unavoidable noises and beat-to-beat variations of the ST-T waveforms. Coefficients a and c of the fitted function, which reflect theconfiguration of the ST-T segment and ST junction's depression, respectively, are used for the, evaluation of the exercise electrocardiogram. In the clinical application, this system has been, proved to be useful for the diagnosis of coronary heart disease. The combination of coefficient a and c could discriminate patients with effort angina pectoris from healthy adults more clearly than. using coefficient c only, the extent of the ST junction's depression used commonly as criterion for the exercise electrocardiogram.
