Wearable and non-wearable electronic stethoscopes and use of the digitized acoustic data for data analytics and healthcare

• US 10,098,611 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Kang-Wook, Knickerbocker, John U.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, SEAN PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US14/977,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20170172537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R

Abstract

In accordance with the example embodiments of the invention there is at least a method and apparatus to perform receiving, with at least one diaphragm of a device placed on a skin of a living body of a human being or animal, acoustic data of the living body; determining digitized data from the acoustic data of the living body; and sending the digitized data towards an analytics system for a medical diagnosis associated with the living body; determining a relationship between the digitized data and health conditions of the human being or animal; and applying the relationship to a diagnosis of the health conditions of the human being or animal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, with at least one diaphragm of a device placed on a skin of a living body, acoustic data of the living body, wherein the at least one diaphragm is covered with a polymer film, and wherein the at least one diaphragm is placed over elastomer pyramids set on a metal conductor plate;

determining digitized data from the acoustic data of the living body of a human being or animal;

sending the digitized data towards an analytics system for a medical diagnosis associated with the living body;

determining a relationship between the digitized data and health conditions of the human being or animal; and

applying the relationship to a diagnosis of the health conditions of the user of the acoustic device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the elastomer pyramids have a height of 5-20 micro meters.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the elastomer pyramids have a predetermined spacing between them, wherein the predetermined spacing is up to one hundred times a height of the elastomer pyramids.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined spacing is changed to one of increase or decrease a sensitivity of the at least one diaphragm to receive the acoustic data.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined spacing comprises the elastomer pyramids are spaced farther apart to increase the sensitivity of the at least one diaphragm.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polymer film is replaced with another film of the same materials to refresh adhesive and hygienic conditions of the device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polymer film comprises a biocompatible pressure adhesive to adhere the device to the skin of the living body.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises electronic circuitry which provides capacitance measurement, a capacitance to digital converter, an amplifier for the determining the digitized data.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry comprises circuitry for radio frequency signaling the digitized data towards an analytics system.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, where the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to at least;

receive, with at least one diaphragm of the apparatus placed on a skin of a living body, acoustic data of the living body, wherein the at least one diaphragm is covered with a polymer film, and wherein the at least one diaphragm is placed over elastomer pyramids set on a metal conductor plate;

determine digitized data from the acoustic data of the living body of a human being or animal; and

send the digitized data towards an analytics system for a medical diagnosis associated with the living body;

determine a relationship between the digitized data and health conditions of the human being or animal; and

apply the relationship to a diagnosis of the health conditions of the human being or animal.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the elastomer pyramids have a height of 5-20 micro meters.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the elastomer pyramids have a predetermined spacing between them, wherein the predetermined spacing is up to one hundred times a height of the elastomer pyramids.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined spacing is changed to one of increase or decrease a sensitivity of the at least one diaphragm to receive the acoustic data, and wherein the predetermined spacing comprises the elastomer pyramids are spaced farther apart to increase the sensitivity of the at least one diaphragm.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one diaphragm is placed on the skin of the body at one of a wrist, ankle, or other location of the body using one of a variable elastic band or pressure bladder.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the polymer film is replaced with another film of the same materials to refresh adhesive and hygienic conditions of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the polymer film comprises a biocompatible pressure adhesive to adhere the apparatus to the skin of the living body.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus comprises electronic circuitry which provides capacitance measurement, a capacitance to digital converter, an amplifier for the determining the digitized data.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the electronic circuitry comprises circuitry for radio frequency signaling the digitized data towards an analytics system.