Heart-activity monitoring with multi-axial audio detection
First Claim
1. Heart-activity monitor structure adapted to collect, and to deliver as output for assessment, ECG-electrical, and heart-activity-generated sound, signals/data effectively from a selected common anatomical site, said monitor structure, in operative condition, comprisingECG electrode structure conductively attachable to a person'"'"'s anatomy adjacent an anatomical site,a multi-axial sound sensor unitized with said electrode structure in a manner whereby, with the electrode structure so attached to the anatomy, the sensor is disposed to sense at least heart-activity-generated sounds arriving along multiple, angularly intersecting axes adjacent the selected site, andsound-signal processing structure operatively connected to said sensor and capable of utilizing X-axis and Y-axis components of detected sound to enable position shifting of the sensor in the vicinity of the site so as to obtain a related maximum Z-axis sound component, wherein said sensor is capable of detecting sounds arriving at such a selected site along orthogonal X, Y and Z axes, where the Z axis is substantially normal to the anatomy at the location of the site.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and associated methodology for monitoring correlatable anatomical electrical and sound signals, such as electrical and audio signals produced by human heart activity, including (a) attaching to a selected, common anatomical site ECG (or other) electrode structure, and a multi-axial sound sensor, and (b) simultaneously collecting from adjacent that site both ECG(or other)-electrical and sound signals, where such sound signals arrive adjacent the site along multiple, angularly intersecting axes.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. Heart-activity monitor structure adapted to collect, and to deliver as output for assessment, ECG-electrical, and heart-activity-generated sound, signals/data effectively from a selected common anatomical site, said monitor structure, in operative condition, comprising
ECG electrode structure conductively attachable to a person'"'"'s anatomy adjacent an anatomical site, a multi-axial sound sensor unitized with said electrode structure in a manner whereby, with the electrode structure so attached to the anatomy, the sensor is disposed to sense at least heart-activity-generated sounds arriving along multiple, angularly intersecting axes adjacent the selected site, and sound-signal processing structure operatively connected to said sensor and capable of utilizing X-axis and Y-axis components of detected sound to enable position shifting of the sensor in the vicinity of the site so as to obtain a related maximum Z-axis sound component, wherein said sensor is capable of detecting sounds arriving at such a selected site along orthogonal X, Y and Z axes, where the Z axis is substantially normal to the anatomy at the location of the site.
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12. Heart-activity monitor structure adapted to collect, and to deliver as output for assessment, at least heart-activity-generated sound signals from a selected anatomical site, said monitor structure comprising
a multi-axial sound sensor effectively attachable to such a selected anatomical site, and when so attached, operable to detect at least heart-activity-generated sounds arriving along multiple angularly intersecting axes located adjacent the selected site, and output structure operatively connected to said sensor for outputting a signal relating to such detected sounds wherein said multi-axial sound sensor is constructed and arranged to sense the so-called S1, S2, S3 and S4 sounds (the S-sounds), as well as murmurs, and wherein said multi-axial sound sensor includes signal processing structure operable to evaluate selected X, Y and Z sound-signal ratios in order to determine the point of maximum impact for each of such sounds.
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18. Methodology for monitoring correlatable ECG-electrical and audio signals produced by human heart activity comprising
attaching to a selected, common anatomical site ECG electrode structure, and a multi-axial sound sensor, simultaneously collecting from adjacent that site both ECG-electrical and sound signals, where such sound signals arrive adjacent the site along multiple, angularly intersecting axes, and performing signal processing utilizing collected X-axis and Y-axis sounds to accomplish (a) minimizing extraneous noise interference with desired sound signal information, and (b) offering a sense of anatomical surface directionality to guide lateral repositioning of at least the sound sensor so as to maximize the acquisition of Z-axis sound information.
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24. A method for monitoring anatomical-activity-produced sounds arriving at a selected anatomical site comprising
establishing at the selected site a mechanical, sound-energy-responsive drive connection between the human anatomy and a multi-axial, motion-to-electrical-signal transducer and collecting multi-axial sounds arriving at that site, wherein the sounds are related to heart activity, wherein the axes of sound collection at the site are three in number, and are orthogonally X, Y, Z related to one another, wherein Z-axis sounds are normally oriented relative to the surface of the anatomy at the selected site, and which further includes determining the point of maximum impact of such sounds at that site, and observing multi-axially detected electrical signal components arriving at the selected site and produced by that transducer in response to anatomy-related, sound-generated motion activities communicated through the established drive connection.
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25. Methodology for monitoring audio signals produced by human heart activity comprising
attaching to a selected, common anatomical site a multi-axial sound sensor, and collecting from adjacent that site sound signals which arrive adjacent the site along multiple, angularly intersecting axes; processing the sound-signals utilizing X-axis and Y-axis components of a detected sound to enable position shifting of the sensor in the vicinity of the site so as to obtain a related maximum Z-axis sound component, wherein said sensor is capable of detecting sounds arriving at such a selected site along orthogonal X, Y and Z axes, where the Z axis is oriented substantially normal to the anatomy at the location of the site.
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26. Heart-activity monitor structure adapted to collect cooperatively, and to deliver as output for assessment, ECG-electrical, and heart-activity-generated sound, signals/data effectively and simultaneously from a pair of selected, laterally spaced anatomical sites, said monitor structure, in operative condition, comprising
a pair of signal-collection units, each including (a) ECG electrode structure conductively attachable to a person'"'"'s anatomy adjacent such a selected site, and (b) an associated, multi-axial sound sensor unitized with said associated electrode structure in a manner whereby, with the electrode structure so attached to the anatomy, the sensor is disposed to sense at least heart-activity-generated sounds arriving along multiple, angularly intersecting axes adjacent the selected site, wherein each of said signal-collection units is constructed and arranged to sense the so-called S1, S2, S3 and S4 sounds (the S-sounds), as well as murmurs, and wherein said multi-axial sound sensor includes signal processing structure operable to evaluate selected X, Y and Z sound-signal ratios in order to determine the point of maximum impact for each of such sounds.
Specification