Method and system for generating a likelihood of cardiovascular disease, analyzing cardiovascular sound signals remotely from the location of cardiovascular sound signal acquisition, and determining time and phase information from cardiovascular sound signals

• US 20080077029A1
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AusculSciences, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SonoMedica, Inc.
• Inventors: Figgatt, Alan, Mulholland, Dan, Mohler, Sailor, Holford, Warren
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• 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 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/322 Physical templates or devices for measuring ECG waveforms, e.g. electrocardiograph rulers or calipers by template matching A61B5/35
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/725 using specific filters therefor, e.g. Kalman or adaptive filters A61B5/316 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/026 comprising more than one sound collector
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

A system, method and computer executable code for generating a likelihood of cardiovascular disease from acquired cardiovascular sound signals is disclosed, where the generated likelihood of cardiovascular disease is based at least on an overlapping in time of bruit candidates in one heart cycle or in different heart cycles. Also disclosed is a system, method, and computer executable code for collecting, forwarding, and analyzing cardiovascular sound signals, where the collecting and analyzing may occur at locations that are remote from each other. Further disclosed is a system, method, and computer executable code for determining the time and phase information contained in cardiovascular sound signals, for use in analyzing those cardiovascular sound signals.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving cardiovascular sound signals of a patient that were previously captured at a point of care of the patient;

processing at a location remote from the point of care the received cardiovascular sound signals to generate a probability indicator indicative of the likelihood that the patient has cardiovascular disease; and

forwarding the probability indicator to at least one of the point of care and another location.

2. The method of claim 1, the received cardiovascular sound signals further comprising digital signals that were previously converted from analog signals.

3. The method of claim 1, the received cardiovascular sound signals further comprising a plurality of heart waveform signals each corresponding to a different location where the patient'"'"'s heart sounds were sensed.

4. The method of claim 3, each heart waveform signal further comprising a plurality of heart cycle signals.

5. The method of claim 4, each heart cycle signal corresponding to a heart cycle of the patient.

6. The method of claim 1, said receiving further comprising receiving a plurality of data files, each data file containing at least one heart waveform signal of a patient.

7. The method of claim 6, each of said data files also including background noise signals.

9. The method of claim 1, said forwarding further comprising forwarding the generated probability to a location remote from a location where the probability indicator was generated.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising forwarding the probability indicator to the point of care over a data communications network

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said data communications network further comprises the internet.

12. The method of claim 1, said receiving further comprising receiving the cardiovascular sound signals in an encrypted format.

8. The method of claim 8, each of said data files also including an ECG signal.

13. A system comprising:

means for receiving cardiovascular sound signals of a patient that were previously captured at a point of care of the patient;

means for processing at a location remote from the point of care the received cardiovascular sound signals to generate a probability indicator indicative of the likelihood that the patient has cardiovascular disease; and

means for forwarding the probability indicator to at least one of the point of care and another location.

14. A computer readable medium containing computer program instructions for:

receiving cardiovascular sound signals of a patient that were previously captured at a point of care of the patient;

processing at a location remote from the point of care the received cardiovascular sound signals to generate a probability indicator indicative of the likelihood that the patient has cardiovascular disease; and

forwarding the probability indicator to at least one of the point of care and another location.

15. A method comprising:

capturing cardiovascular sound signals of a patient at a point of care of the patient;

forwarding to a location remote from the point of care the captured cardiovascular sound signals; and

receiving from the location remote from the point of care a probability indicator indicative of the likelihood that the patient has cardiovascular disease, the probability indicator being generated based on the cardiovascular sound signals that were forwarded to the location remote from the point of care.

16. The method of claim 15, the captured cardiovascular sound signals further comprising a plurality of heart waveform signals each corresponding to a different location where the patient'"'"'s heart sounds were sensed.

17. The method of claim 16, each heart waveform signal further comprising heart cycles signals each corresponding to a heart cycle.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising capturing background noise signals and forwarding said background noise signals to the location remote from the point of care.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising capturing an ECG signal and forwarding said ECG signal to the location remote from the point of care.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising encrypting the cardiovascular sound signals prior to said forwarding to the location remote from the point of care.

21. A system comprising:

means for capturing cardiovascular sound signals of a patient at a point of care of the patient;

means for forwarding to a location remote from the point of care the captured cardiovascular sound signals; and

means for receiving from the location remote from the point of care a probability indicator indicative of the likelihood that the patient has cardiovascular disease, the probability indicator being generated based on the cardiovascular sound signals that were forwarded to the location remote from the point of care.

22. A computer readable medium containing computer program instructions for:

capturing cardiovascular sound signals of a patient at a point of care of the patient;

forwarding to a location remote from the point of care the captured cardiovascular sound signals; and

receiving from the location remote from the point of care a probability indicator indicative of the likelihood that the patient has cardiovascular disease, the probability indicator being generated based on the cardiovascular sound signals that were forwarded to the location remote from the point of care.