DIAGNOSTIC COUGH-MONITORING TECHNIQUES

• US 3,593,703 A
• Filed: 07/07/1969
• Issued: 07/20/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald A. Burns, Leonard C. Gunn
• Original Assignee: Donald A. Burns, Leonard C. Gunn
• Inventors: Gunn, Leonard C., Burns, Donald A.
• Application Number:
  US04/839,309
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• US Class Current: 600/529
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0823 Detecting or evaluating cough events
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise

Abstract

The rate at which a human subject coughs may be determined by providing a microphone, a transmitter connected to the microphone, a receiver, a counter, and a conditioning circuit that enables the counter to advance in response to a cough sound.

Claims

1. A process for determining the rate at which a human subject coughs by using a microphone, a transmitter connected to the microphone, a receiver tuned to receive waves from the transmitter, and a counter connected to the receiver, comprising the steps of:

locating the microphone adjacent the throat of the subject so that sounds uttered by the subject are converted into corresponding electrical currents;

transmitting waves corresponding to said electrical currents by means of the transmitter;

converting the waves transmitted by the transmitter into corresponding electrical signals in said receiver; and

conditioning said electrical signals so that signals corresponding to a cough sound uttered by the subject cause the counter to advance, whereas signals corresponding to other types of sounds cause the counter to remain inactive.

2. A process, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of conditioning said electrical signals comprises the step of adjusting the gain of said receiver.

3. A process, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of conditioning said electrical signals further comprises the steps of:

full-wave rectifying said electrical signals; and

filtering a portion of said full-wave rectified electrical signals.

4. A process, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microphone is located in contact with the throat of the subject.

5. A process, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a radio transmitter and the receiver is a radio receiver.