Configuration for phonography cardio heart monitoring

• US 20070270701A1
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LONO Medical Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: LONO Medical Systems LLC
• Inventors: Rapoport, Ezra, Orenstein, Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 7,539,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02411 of foetuses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4362 Assessing foetal parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 Instruments for auscultation

Abstract

A method of acoustic monitoring includes transducing acoustic energy from a first acoustic transducer attached to a first location on a patient the acoustic energy from the first transducer, comprising desired acoustic energy to be monitored and interfering acoustic energy and transducing acoustic energy from a second acoustic transducer, attached to a second, different location on a patient, the acoustic energy from the second transducer, comprising desired acoustic energy to be monitored and interfering acoustic energy. The method also includes converting the acoustic energy sensed at the first and second locations into first and second electrical signals and processing the first and second electrical signals to digitally remove interfering acoustic energy present in the second signal to provide an electrical signal representative of the acoustic signal that is being monitored.

Claims

1. A method of acoustic monitoring comprises:

transducing acoustic energy from a first acoustic transducer attached to a first location on a patient the acoustic energy from the first transducer, comprising desired acoustic energy to be monitored and interfering acoustic energy;

transducing acoustic energy from a second acoustic transducer, attached to a second, different location on a patient, the acoustic energy from the second transducer, comprising desired acoustic energy to be monitored and interfering acoustic energy;

converting the acoustic energy sensed at the first and second locations into first and second electrical signals;

processing the first and second electrical signals to digitally remove interfering acoustic energy present in the second signal to provide an electrical signal representative of the acoustic signal that is being monitored.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the interfering acoustic energy is principally representative of a maternal heartbeat.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the acoustic energy to be monitored includes acoustic energy representative of a fetal heartbeat;

and

processing the first and second electrical signals provides the electrical signal representative of the fetal heartbeat.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transducing a plurality of signals from a plurality of transducers, including the first transducer, the plurality of signals representing the acoustic energy to be monitored; and

processing the first the plurality of signals along with the second electrical signal to provide the electrical signal representative of the acoustic energy to be monitored.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the acoustic energy to be monitored includes acoustic energy representative of a fetal heartbeat;

and

processing the plurality of signals including the first signal, and second electrical signals provides the electrical signal representative of the fetal heartbeat.

6. A method of monitoring health status of a fetus, the method comprises:

transducing acoustic energy from a first acoustic transducer attached to the epidermis about the vicinity of the abdomen of a pregnant woman, the acoustic energy from the first transducer, comprising acoustic energy of a fetal heartbeat and interfering acoustic energy of a maternal heartbeat;

transducing acoustic energy from a second acoustic transducer, attached to the percordium region of a pregnant woman, the acoustic energy from the first transducer the acoustic energy from the second transducer, comprising the interfering acoustic energy of the maternal heartbeat;

converting the acoustic energy sensed at the first and second locations into first and second electrical signals; and

processing the first and second electrical signals to provide an output signal representative of the fetal heartbeat.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the interfering acoustic energy is removed during processing of the first and second signals.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein processing further comprises:

processing at least the second electrical signal to provide a second output signal representative of the maternal heartbeat.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the second transducer is attached beneath the percordium area of the patient.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

converting acoustic energy representative of maternal uterine contractions into a third electrical signal.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

processing the third electrical signal to provide a signal representative of a rate of maternal uterine contractions.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein the method is applied to monitor fetal heartbeats, the method further comprises:

attaching the first transducer to the abdominal region of the patient in a region where the back of the fetus is against the maternal abdominal wall.

13. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

rendering the electrical signal representative of the fetal heartbeat on an output device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the output device is an audio speaker.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the output device is a display device that renders an electrocardiogram.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the output device is a display device that renders readout of heartbeat rate.

17. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

rendering the second output signal representative of the maternal heartbeat on an output device

18. The method of claim 6 wherein the acoustic transducers are wireless.

19. The method of claim 6 wherein the acoustic transducers are coupled to a processing device via cables and/or wires.