Method and apparatus for determining conditions of biological tissues

• US 20080154145A1
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Respiri (Israel) Ltd.
• Original Assignee: PulmoSonix Pty., Ltd. (Spenda Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ramsden, Clive Andrew, Berger, Philip John, Wilkinson, Malcolm Howard
• Granted Patent: US 7,850,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/529
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of determining characteristics of biological tissues in humans and animals. In particular, it relates to determining the characteristics of tissues such as the lungs and airways by introducing a sound to the tissue, and recording the sound. The invention further includes an apparatus capable of such measurement. In a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of determining characteristics of biological tissue in situ, including: introducing a sound to the tissue at first position; detecting the sound at another position spaced from the first position after it has traveled through the tissue; calculating the velocity and attenuation of sound that has traveled through the tissue from the first position to another position; and correlating the velocity and attenuation of the detected sound to characteristics of the biological tissue.

Claims

1. Apparatus for determining characteristics of biological tissues, the apparatus comprising:

a sound generating device which generates a sound signal having audible frequencies;

a recording device which records the sound after it has traveled from one position of the biological tissue, through the tissue and to another position of the tissue;

an analysis device which calculates the velocity and attenuation with which the sound travels through the tissue.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristics of biological tissues comprise characteristics of one or both of the lung and airway.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising sound introduction means adapted for introduction of the generated sound into the biological tissue.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sound introduction means is adapted for introduction of the generated sound into one or both nares of the nose.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sound introduction means comprises a nosepiece adaptor.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sound introduction means is adapted for introduction of the generated sound into the mouth.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the sound introduction means comprises a mask.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the sound introduction means comprises a tube.

9. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein sound introduction means is adapted for introduction of the generated sound into both the mouth and one or both nares.

10. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein sound introduction means is adapted for introduction of the generated sound transthoracically.

11. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sound introduction means comprises an electroacoustic transducer.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the electroacoustic transducer generates audible sound in bursts of 0.1 seconds to 20 seconds duration.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the audible sound generated is in the range of 20 Hz to 25 kHz.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the analysis device further performs spectral analysis on the data recorded.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the analysis device comprises one or more filters adapted for removing environmental noise and unwanted signal recorded by the recording device.

16. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording device comprises a microphone.

17. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the characteristics of biological tissues comprise characteristics of the upper airway.

18. Apparatus according to claim 1, adapted for continuous monitoring and determination of characteristics of biological tissues.

19. Apparatus for monitoring lung condition, said apparatus including:

sound generating means to generate a sound having audible frequencies, which is applied transthoracically so that the sound travels from one side of the thorax, through the lung, to another side of the thorax;

a recording means to record the sound after it has traveled from one side of the thorax, through and across the lung, to the other side of the thorax;

an analysis device which calculates the attenuation and velocity with which the sound travels from one side of the thorax, through and across the lung, to the other side of the thorax.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19, adapted for continuous monitoring of lung condition.