SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING A RESONANCE FREQUENCY OF A TUBE

• US 20120116238A1
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Brand, Maarten Leonardus Christian, Dong, Liang, Du, Juan
• Granted Patent: US 9,958,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/508
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02133 by using induced vibration of the blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 13/00 Measuring resonant frequency

Abstract

The invention proposes a system for measuring a resonance frequency of a tube. The system comprises: an oscillating unit (21) for oscillating the tube at a plurality of oscillation frequencies, respectively; a detecting unit (22) for detecting a time delay of transmitting a pressure pulse from a first position to a second position in the tube when the tube is oscillated at each oscillation frequency, wherein, when the tube is oscillated at each oscillation frequency in a specific oscillation frequency range of the plurality of oscillation frequencies, the detecting unit (22) detects a variation of the time delay—a determining unit (23) for determining a maximal variation of the time delay when the tube is oscillated at the oscillation frequencies in the specific oscillation frequency range; and—an indicating unit (24) for indicating an oscillation frequency corresponding to the maximal variation of the time delay, being a resonance frequency of the tube.

Claims

1. A system for measuring a resonance frequency of a tube, the system comprising:

an oscillating unit (21) for oscillating the tube at a plurality of oscillation frequencies, respectively;

a detecting unit (22) for detecting a time delay of transmitting a pressure pulse from a first position to a second position in the tube when the tube is oscillated at each oscillation frequency, wherein, when the tube is oscillated at each oscillation frequency in a specific oscillation frequency range of the plurality of oscillation frequencies, the detecting unit detects a variation of the time delay;

a determining unit (23) for determining a maximal variation of the time delay when the tube is oscillated at the oscillation frequencies in the specific oscillation frequency range;

and

an indicating unit (24) for indicating an oscillation frequency corresponding to the maximal variation of the time delay, being a resonance frequency of the tube.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a comparing unit for comparing the resonance frequency with a pre-defined frequency table to determine a property/a set of properties of the tube.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a calculating unit for calculating a property/a set of properties of the tube based on the resonance frequency.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an assisting unit for assisting cough, based on the resonance frequency, if the tube is an airway.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an exciting unit for exciting the tube to generate the pressure pulse, if the tube is an airway.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure pulse is generated by exciting the tube based on a contraction of a heart, if the tube is a blood vessel.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicating unit (24) is intended to indicate the resonance frequency by character information, a graph, a light, a voice, or a warning, or to store the resonance frequency in a memory.

8. A method of measuring a resonance frequency of a tube, the method comprising the steps of:

oscillating (71) the tube at a plurality of oscillation frequencies, respectively;

detecting (72) a time delay of transmitting a pressure pulse from a first position to a second position in the tube when the tube is oscillated at each oscillation frequency, wherein, when the tube is oscillated at each oscillation frequency in a specific oscillation frequency range of the plurality of oscillation frequencies, the detecting step (72) detects a variation of the time delay;

determining (73) a maximal variation of the time delay when the tube is oscillated at the oscillation frequencies in the specific oscillation frequency range;

and

indicating (74) an oscillation frequency corresponding to the maximal variation of the time delay, being a resonance frequency of the tube.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a step of comparing the resonance frequency with a pre-defined frequency table to determine a property/a set of properties of the tube.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a step of calculating a property/a set of properties of the tube based on the resonance frequency.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a step of assisting cough based on the resonance frequency, if the tube is an airway.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a step of exciting the tube to generate the pressure pulse if the tube is an airway.

13. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pressure pulse is generated by exciting the tube based on a contraction of a heart, if the tube is a blood vessel.

14. A system for measuring at least one resonance frequency of a tube, the system comprising:

an oscillating unit (21) for oscillating the tube at a plurality of oscillation frequencies, respectively;

a detecting unit (22) for detecting a time delay of transmitting a pressure pulse from a first position to a second position in the tube when the tube is oscillated at each oscillation frequency;

and

an indicating unit (24) for outputting a graph to reflect a correlation between the plurality of oscillation frequencies and the time delays, wherein, in at least one specific oscillation frequency range of the plurality of oscillation frequencies, each oscillation frequency corresponds to a variation of the time delay, and, in the at least one specific oscillation frequency range, an oscillation frequency corresponding to a maximal variation of the time delay is the at least one resonance frequency of the tube.

15. A method of measuring at least one resonance frequency of a tube, the method comprising:

oscillating (71) for oscillating the tube at a plurality of oscillation frequencies, respectively;

detecting (72) a time delay of transmitting a pressure pulse from a first position to a second position in the tube when the tube is oscillated at each oscillation frequency;

and

indicating (74) to output a graph to reflect a correlation between the plurality of oscillation frequencies and the time delays, wherein, in at least one specific oscillation frequency range of the plurality of oscillation frequencies, each oscillation frequency corresponds to a variation of the time delay, and, in the at least one specific oscillation frequency range, an oscillation frequency corresponding to a maximal variation of the time delay is the at least one resonance frequency of the tube.