Recording, digital stethoscope for identifying PCG signatures
First Claim
1. A method for identifying characteristic phonocardiographic sounds, comprising:
- detecting the phonocardiographic (PCG) sounds of a patient during both the systolic and diastolic phases of the heart beat;
detecting simultaneously at least a portion of the electrocardiographic (ECG) wave pattern of said patient;
converting both the detected PCG sounds and ECG wave pattern for the patient to digital electrical signals;
storing said digital electrical signals representing said PCG sounds and ECG wave pattern of said patient in a memory means;
inputting the location of the stethoscope where said PCG sounds were recorded;
transmitting said stored digital signals to a digital computer; and
analyzing said stored digital PCG signals in said computer to produce a PCG signature for said patient, said PCG signature comprising a plurality of characteristics selected from the heart rate of said patient, said location, the type and timing of each short heart sound in said systolic phase, the pitch, type and timing of each long heart sound in said systolic phase, the type and timing of each short heart sound in said diastolic phase and the pitch, type and timing of each long heart sound in said diastolic phase.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method for identifying characteristic phonocardiographic heart sounds using a novel, recording, digital stethoscope. The stethoscope comprises in combination the features of a standard air column stethoscope together with the features of a recording, digital stethoscope. Further, the stethoscope includes features permitting the detection and recording of at least a portion of the electrocardiographic wave pattern to aid in analysis of the phonocardiographic sounds. The system for identifying phonocardiographic sounds includes the described recording, digital stethoscope together with a computer and display device for storing, analyzing and displaying the detected sounds together with comparative sounds selected from a reference library. The method for identifying characteristic phonocardiographic sounds includes detecting the phonocardiographic sounds and at least a portion of the electrocardiographic wave pattern of the patient, digitalizing the detected signals, storing those signals, digitalizing the detected signals, storing those signals, analyzing those signals to produce a phonocardiographic signature, comparing that signature with reference PCG signatures and displaying visually and/or audibly the patient'"'"'s phonocardiographic sounds together with the phonocardiographic sounds corresponding to the reference PCG signatures determined to be closest to the PCG signature of the patient.
144 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for identifying characteristic phonocardiographic sounds, comprising:
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detecting the phonocardiographic (PCG) sounds of a patient during both the systolic and diastolic phases of the heart beat; detecting simultaneously at least a portion of the electrocardiographic (ECG) wave pattern of said patient; converting both the detected PCG sounds and ECG wave pattern for the patient to digital electrical signals; storing said digital electrical signals representing said PCG sounds and ECG wave pattern of said patient in a memory means; inputting the location of the stethoscope where said PCG sounds were recorded; transmitting said stored digital signals to a digital computer; and analyzing said stored digital PCG signals in said computer to produce a PCG signature for said patient, said PCG signature comprising a plurality of characteristics selected from the heart rate of said patient, said location, the type and timing of each short heart sound in said systolic phase, the pitch, type and timing of each long heart sound in said systolic phase, the type and timing of each short heart sound in said diastolic phase and the pitch, type and timing of each long heart sound in said diastolic phase. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for identifying characteristic phonocardiographic (PCG) sounds, comprising;
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a recording, digital stethoscope comprising means for detecting the phonocardiographic (PCG) sounds and at least a portion of the electrocardiographic (ECG) wave pattern of a patient including the systolic and diastolic portions, means for converting said detected PCG sounds and said ECG wave pattern to digital electrical signals, and means for recording said digital signals within said stethoscope; means for transmitting the recorded digital signals to a computer; said computer including memory means for storing a library of reference PCG signatures together with the corresponding reference heart sounds from which they were derived, and for receiving and storing the PCG signals of said patient from said recording, digital stethoscope, and computing means for producing a PCG signature of said patient from said PCG sounds and ECG wave pattern of said patient and for comparing the PCG signature of said patient with PCG signatures in said reference library for selecting one or more reference PCG signatures closely matching said PCG signature of said patient; and means for displaying in juxtaposition said PCG heart sounds of said patient and said reference heart sounds corresponding to at least one of said selected reference PCG signatures.
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8. A recording, digital stethoscope, comprising:
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first means for detecting phonocardiographic (PCG) heart sounds; means for converting said detected PCG sounds into digital PCG signals; second means for simultaneously detecting at least a portion of the electrocardiographic (ECG) wave pattern; means for converting said detected ECG wave pattern into digital ECG signals; and memory means within said stethoscope having a plurality of first storage locations for storing said digital PCG signals and a plurality of second storage locations for storing said digital ECG signals. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A recording, digital stethoscope, comprising:
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first means for detecting phonocardiographic (PCG) heart sounds; means for conveying said detected PCG sounds to the ears of a user of said stethoscope; means for converting said detected PCG sounds into digital PCG signals; and memory means having a plurality of first storage locations for storing said digital PCG signals within said stethoscope. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification