Cough Detector

• US 20090216127A1
• Filed: 04/30/2006
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Respiri (Israel) Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Isonea Limited
• Inventors: Gavriely, Oren
• Granted Patent: US 8,241,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/453
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0823 Detecting or evaluating cough events
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals

Abstract

A device for detecting and counting coughing events is provided. In one embodiment a sensor for sensing and transducing low frequency and high frequency mechanical vibrations, sends signals to a coincidence detector that determines if high and low signals coincide. In another embodiment, ultrasonic energy is introduced to the trachea and if Doppler shift in frequency is detected, association is made to a coughing event. In another embodiment a change in the impedance of the neck is considered associated with coughing event if correlated over time with a specific mechanical frequency sensed.

Claims

1. A device for detecting and counting, of coughing events, said device comprising:

a sensor for sensing and transducing low frequency and high frequency mechanical vibrations, wherein said sensor is attached to a neck of a subject;

a low pass filter receiving electrical signals from said sensor;

a high pass filter receiving electrical signals from said sensor;

a coincidence detector receiving signals from both said filters, wherein said coincidence detector identifies reception of signals from said filters on a time axis; and

a register for storing data concerning cough events generated by said coincidence detector.

2. A device for detecting and counting of coughing events as in claim 1, wherein said device is housed within a circumferential band to be hung around the neck of a person so that said device is positioned over the lower segment of the cervical trachea.

3. A device for detecting and counting of coughing events as in claim 1, wherein at least the high frequency signal is measured by a contact sensor.

4. A device for detecting and counting of coughing events as in claim 1, wherein said sensor is a microphone.

5. A device for detecting and counting of coughing events as in claim 1, wherein at least a low frequency signal is detected by a contact sensor.

6. A device for detecting and counting of coughing events as in claim 1, wherein a low frequency signal is detected by an ultrasonic detector.

7. A device for detecting and counting of coughing events as in claim 1, wherein a low frequency signal is detected by an electrical impedance detector.

8. A device for detecting and counting of coughing events as in claim 1, wherein the data relating to coughing events is transmitted to a remote host computer or data logger via a wire or wireless transmitter.

9. A device for detecting and counting of coughing events as in claim 1, wherein non-coughing signals are eliminated by based on their duration as measured by a duration detector.

10. A device for detecting and counting of coughing events as in claim 8, wherein said duration detector rejects vibrations the duration of which is within the limits of 0.15 to 1.5 seconds.

11. A device for detecting and counting, of coughing events based on Doppler frequency shifts measured continuously along the axis of the trachea, comprising:

an ultrasound generator generating ultrasonic energy passed to the trachea;

a sensor for measuring reflected ultrasonic energy, and

a processor for determining frequency of said reflected ultrasonic energy;

wherein a shift in said frequency of said reflected energy is determined.