Audio/ECG sensor/coupler with integrated signal processing

• US 20030176801A1
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inovise Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Inovise Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Coffman, Damon J., Swedlow, David B., Warner, Robert A., Galen, Peter M.
• Application Number:
  US10/389,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20030176801A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/513
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/252 by suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R

Abstract

Small-scale sensor structure attachable to a person'"'"'s anatomy for collecting and conveying physiologically-related electrical and audio signals, including the conveying of processed output signals that relate input electrical and audio signals.

Claims

1. Sensor structure for collecting from a person'"'"'s anatomy, and for conveying, related electrical-signal, and physiologically-related audio-signal, information comprising

sensor hardware attachable to a selected site in a person'"'"'s anatomy,

signal-collection structure carried by said hardware and including at least a pair of body electrical-signal-collecting electrodes, and at least one audio transducer, each operable, during use of the sensor structure to collect associated, physiologically-related information from the anatomy, and to produce a related, respective output signal, and

computer-based algorithmic structure also carried by said hardware and having an input side operatively coupled to each of said electrodes and said at least one audio transducer to receive output signals therefrom, said algorithm structure also having an output side, and being operable, upon the receipt of such output signals, to create at its output side an algorithmically processed output signal which is effectively deliverable to external monitoring structure, and which contains a selected presentation of aspects of the respective output signals received from said electrodes and said at least one audio-transducer.

2. The sensor structure of claim 1 which further includes difference-detecting circuitry operatively interposed said electrode pair and the input side of said algorithmic structure, operable to furnish said algorithmic structure'"'"'s input side with information relating to a timing difference extant between related portions of the respective output signals produced by said electrodes.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein said algorithmic structure is constructed to include, in its created algorithmically-processed output signal, information relating to such a timing difference.

4. The sensor structure of claim 2, wherein said algorithmic structure includes a data processor.

5. The sensor structure of claim 2 which further includes a signal combiner operatively connected both the said algorithmic structure'"'"'s said output side, and to one of said electrodes, operable to produce a sensor output signal which is deliverable directly to external monitoring structure.

6. The sensor structure of claim 5, wherein said signal combiner is structured in such a manner that the mentioned sensor output signal combines information derived both from the algorithmically processed output signal and from the output signal produced by said one electrode.

7. The sensor structure of claim 5, wherein said sensor output signal is discernable in the form generally of an ECG waveform decorated with audio-event-related spikes having at least one of the characteristics including populations, time-densities, timing locations, amplitudes, and polarities.

8. The sensor structure of claim 1 which further includes an output terminal which is operatively connected to receive directly an output signal produced by one only of said electrical-signal-collecting electrodes.

9. A method utilizing a small-scale, body-attachable sensor structure for collecting and conveying related physiologically-related electrical and audio signals comprising

at the location of such an attached sensor structure, collecting, from a pair of spaced anatomical sites, a pair of such electrical signals, and from at least one of the sites in that pair of sites, a related audio signal,

within the sensor structure, applying signal-processing to a selection of such collected electrical and audio signals to create an algorithmically processed signal which contains presentable aspects of the selected electrical and audio signals, and then

effectively delivering to external monitoring structure, and at least as a part of total output information so delivered by the sensor structure, a sensor output signal which contains information based upon such an algorithmically processed output signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein delivering of such a total output signal takes the form of delivery over a single output conductor.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein delivering of such a total output signal takes the form of delivery over a pair of output conductors.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein delivering of such a total output signal takes the form of wireless communication.