Acoustic cardiac assessment

• US 20060047213A1
• Filed: 10/12/2003
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nathan Intrator, Noam Gavriely
• Original Assignee: Nathan Intrator, Noam Gavriely
• Inventors: Intrator, Nathan, Gavriely, Noam
• Granted Patent: US 7,819,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/513
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0809 by impedance pneumography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/33 specially adapted for cooperation with other devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/726 using Wavelet transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 Instruments for auscultation
• 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

A non-invasive method and apparatus for monitoring of the function of the heart and lungs in vulnerable patients. An analysis of the activity of the heart is made in correspondence to the respiratory system. Using the method of the invention, precise tracking of the changes of the mutual heart-lung interactions cycle are made, enabling better definitions of heart conditions. Within breath variability factor is introduced for tracking heart condition. Failing heart assisting methods and improved diagnostic methods are facilitated using the monitoring system of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for analysing the functionalities of the heart and of the respiratory system of a patient, comprising:

segmenting cyclic heart beating sounds into physically defined classes and independently segmenting cyclic breathing cycle into physiologically defined classes;

associating segments of same class of said heart sounds with segments of same class of said breathing sounds, and

correlating physical characteristics of said heart sounds of same class with physical characteristics of said breathing sounds of same class.

2. A method for analyzing the functionality of the heart and the respiratory system as in claim 1, and wherein said cyclic heart beating sounds are synchronized by features of an EKG.

3. A method for analysing a change in the functionality of the heart and the respiratory system of a patient, comprising:

identifying the respiratory activity and cardiac sounds;

segmenting said respiratory and said cardiac sounds;

classifying said segments of said respiratory and said cardiac sounds;

extracting features of said classes;

comparing the features of said classes, and

determining the significance of the deviation of a set of said features from a respective set of baseline values.

4. A method for synchronizing a heartbeat synchronized system comprising:

segmenting said respiratory activity and said cardiac sounds, wherein data of cardiac sounds is obtained from at least one heart sound sensor;

correlating physical characteristics of said heart sounds of same class with physical characteristics of said breathing sounds of same class;

determining the temporal signal structure of the heart, and sending control signal to the heartbeat synchronized system.

5. A method for synchronizing a heartbeat synchronized system as in claim 4, comprising:

segmenting said cardiac sounds data obtained from a plurality of heart sound sensors respectively;

correlating physical characteristics of said heart sounds of same class using data of each sensor respectively with physical characteristics of said breathing sounds of same class r;

determining the temporal signal structure of the heart, sending control signal to the heartbeat synchronized system.

6. A diagnostic method for synchronizing a heartbeat synchronized system as in claim 4.

7. A therapeutic method for synchronizing a heartbeat synchronized system as in claim 4.

8. A system for monitoring the interrelated functionality of the heart and the respiratory system, comprising:

at least one means for collecting heart beating sounds;

means for collecting cyclic sound of the respiratory system, and

a means for processing said sounds.

9. A system for monitoring the interrelated functionality of the heart and the respiratory system as in claim 8 and wherein all sounds are collected by a plurality of means.

10. A system for monitoring the interrelated functionality of the heart and the respiratory system as in claim 8 and wherein said system is a part of a heartbeat synchronized device.

11. A system as in claim 10 wherein said heartbeat synchronized system is a monitoring device.

12. A system as in claim 10 wherein said heartbeat synchronized system is an intra-aortic balloon pump.

13. A system as in claim 10 wherein said heartbeat synchronized system is a left ventricular cardiac assist device.

14. A system as in claim 10 wherein said heartbeat synchronized system is a CT coronary angiography diagnostic device.

15. A system as in claim 10 wherein said heartbeat synchronized system is a SPECT diagnostic device.

16. A method for improving magnetic resonance angiography wherein said magnetic resonance angiography acquisition time is synchronized with the synchronized heartbeat.