System and method for determining antibiotic effectiveness in respiratory diseased animals using auscultation analysis

• US 10,064,580 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2013
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intervet Incorporated (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intervet Incorporated (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Brattain, Kurt, Geissler, Randolph K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAHAKIS, MANOLIS Y
• Application Number:
  US13/760,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20130150744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,036 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4848 Monitoring or testing the effects of treatment, e.g. of medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

A system and method are provided for diagnosis of animal respiratory diseases using auscultation techniques. Animal lung sounds are recorded and stored as digitized data. Algorithms are applied to the data producing an output indicative of the health of the animal. Another method determines effectiveness of antibiotics administered to animals based upon observed relationships between lung score categories obtained from auscultation. A comparison is made between sample populations of animals that receive different classifications of antibiotics, and this data is compared to lung score categories observed for each of the animals that received the antibiotics. A statistical analysis is conducted to confirm statistical differences in case fatality rates between lung score categories. Insignificant differences in mortality rates across a range of lung score categories indicates the particular antibiotic administered is not effective, whereas a reduced fatality rate associated with lower lung scores indicates a level of antibiotic effectiveness.

Claims

1. A method for determining effectiveness of an administered drug in treating a disease of a group of livestock using auscultation analysis, said method comprising:

administering a first drug to a group of livestock;

conducting auscultations by an electronic stethoscopic device communicating with a computer processor to record auscultated sounds from the group of livestock;

determining, by said computer processor, a lung score corresponding to a respective level of severity of the disease for each livestock at the time of and based on the auscultations;

recording, in said computer processor, the first drug administered to the group of livestock;

recording, in said computer processor, fatalities for the group of livestock over a designated time period;

conducting, by said computer processor, a statistical analysis to determine whether there is a statistical difference in fatality rates between lung score categories;

analyzing, by said computer processor, the statistical analysis;

automatically determining, by said computer processor, a numerical relationship between fatality rates as a function of lung scores to determine effectiveness of the first drug, said automatically determining step includes;

generating a graphical comparison of fatality rates versus lung score categories, said comparison including a predicted probability line of the fatality rates as a function of the lung scores;

determining whether the first drug is effective or ineffective based on the slope of the predicted probability line, wherein the slope of the predicted probability line being positive indicates drug effectiveness and wherein the slope of said predicted probability line having a zero slope indicates drug ineffectiveness; and

administering a second different drug to the group of animals when the first drug is ineffective, or administering the first drug to the group of livestock when the first drug is effective.

2. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lung score categories are numerical lung score categories.

3. A method for determining effectiveness of an administered drug in treating a disease of a group of livestock using auscultation analysis, said method comprising:

administering a first drug to a group of livestock;

conducting auscultations by an electronic stethoscopic device communicating with a computer processor to record auscultated sounds from the group of livestock;

determining, by said computer processor, a lung score corresponding to a respective level of severity of the disease for each livestock at the time of and based on the auscultations;

recording, in said computer processor, the first drug administered to the group of livestock;

recording, in said computer processor, fatalities for the group of livestock over a designated time period;

conducting, by said computer processor, an analysis to determine whether there is a difference in fatality rates between lung score categories;

analyzing, by said computer processor, the statistical analysis;

automatically determining, by said computer processor, a numerical relationship between fatality rates as a function of lung scores to determine effectiveness of the first drug, said automatically determining step includes;

generating a graphical comparison of fatality rates versus lung score categories, said comparison including a predicted probability line of the fatality rates as a function of the lung scores;

determining whether the first drug is effective or ineffective based on the slope of the predicted probability line, wherein the slope of the predicted probability line being positive indicates drug effectiveness and wherein the slope of said predicted probability line having a zero slope indicates drug ineffectiveness; and

administering a second different drug to the group of animals when the first drug is ineffective, or administering the first drug to the group of livestock when the first drug is effective.

4. The method, as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said determining step includes an arithmetic analysis.

5. The method, as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the arithmetic analysis includes a statistical analysis.

6. A method, as claimed in claim 3, wherein the lung categories are numerical lung score categories.