ACOUSTIC RESPIRATORY MONITORING SENSOR HAVING MULTIPLE SENSING ELEMENTS
First Claim
1. A medical device for non-invasively outputting a reduced noise signal responsive to acoustic vibrations indicative of one or more physiological parameters of a medical patient, comprising:
- a first acoustic sensing element configured to be acoustically coupled to the body of a patient, the first acoustic sensing element being configured to output a first signal comprising a physiological signal component and a noise component;
a second acoustic sensing element being configured to output a second signal comprising at least a noise component;
a noise attenuator configured to produce a reduced noise signal in response to the first and second signals, the reduced noise signal comprising a physiological signal component and a noise component, the ratio of the physiological signal component of the reduced noise signal to the noise component of the reduced noise signal greater than the ratio of the physiological signal component of the first signal to the noise component of the first signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
According to certain described aspects, multiple acoustic sensing elements are employed in a variety of beneficial ways to provide improved physiological monitoring, among other advantages. In various embodiments, sensing elements can be advantageously employed in a single sensor package, in multiple sensor packages, and at a variety of other strategic locations in the monitoring environment. According to other aspects, to compensate for skin elasticity and attachment variability, an acoustic sensor support is provided that includes one or more pressure equalization pathways. The pathways can provide an air-flow channel from the cavity defined by the sensing elements and frame to the ambient air pressure.
140 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A medical device for non-invasively outputting a reduced noise signal responsive to acoustic vibrations indicative of one or more physiological parameters of a medical patient, comprising:
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a first acoustic sensing element configured to be acoustically coupled to the body of a patient, the first acoustic sensing element being configured to output a first signal comprising a physiological signal component and a noise component; a second acoustic sensing element being configured to output a second signal comprising at least a noise component; a noise attenuator configured to produce a reduced noise signal in response to the first and second signals, the reduced noise signal comprising a physiological signal component and a noise component, the ratio of the physiological signal component of the reduced noise signal to the noise component of the reduced noise signal greater than the ratio of the physiological signal component of the first signal to the noise component of the first signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of providing a reduced noise signal responsive to acoustic vibrations indicative of one or more physiological parameters of a medical patient, comprising:
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outputting a first signal using first acoustic sensing element coupled to the body of a patient, the signal comprising a physiological component and a noise component; outputting a second signal using the second acoustic sensing element, the second signal comprising at least an a noise component; processing the first and second signals using a noise attenuator to produce a reduced noise signal in response to the first and second signals, the reduced noise signal comprising a physiological signal component and a acoustic noise component, the ratio of the physiological signal component of the reduced noise signal to the noise component of the reduced noise signal greater than the ratio of the physiological signal component of the first signal to the noise component of the first signal.
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20. A medical device for non-invasively generating a reduced noise signal responsive to acoustic vibrations indicative of one or more physiological parameters of a medical patient, comprising:
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at least one first acoustic sensing element configured to generate a first signal in response to acoustic vibrations; at least one second acoustic sensing element configured to generate a second signal in response to acoustic, vibrations; and a noise attenuation module configured to generate a reduced noise signal indicative of one or more physiological parameters of a medical patient in response to at least one of the first and second signals. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification