Method and apparatus for displaying body sounds and performing diagnosis based on body sound analysis

• US 20040236241A1
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stethographics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Raymond L.H. Murphy
• Inventors: Murphy, Raymond L.H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,520,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/529
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00

Abstract

A lung sound diagnostic system for use in collecting, organizing and analyzing lung sounds associated with the inspiration(s) and expiration(s) of a patient. The system includes a plurality of transducers that may be placed at various sites around the patient'"'"'s chest. The microphones are coupled to signal processing circuitry and A/D converters which digitize the data and preferably provides the digital data to a computer station. A data collection and organization program, executing on the computer station, organizes and formats the data into a combination display for display or printing. The combinational display includes at least two display elements. In a first display element, the data is shown for both inspiration and expiration combined in a first time scale. In a second display element, the data for inspiration and expiration are shown individually in a second time scale that is time-expanded relative to the first time scale. The system may also include application programs for detecting and classifying abnormal sounds. The resulting information may be displayed in a variety of formats to facilitate diagnosis. Additionally, the system may include an analysis program for comparing selected criteria corresponding to the detected abnormal sounds with predefined thresholds in order to provide a likely diagnosis.

Claims

1. A method for collecting, organizing and displaying lung sound information during the inspiration and expiration of a patient as detected by a plurality of transducers placed at various sites around the patient'"'"'s chest, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving digital data corresponding to the lung sounds detected by the transducers; and

generating, in response to the digital data, a display on a graphical user interface, the display having a display element in which the detected lung sounds from a plurality of transducers are plotted in a vertically stacked configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the detected lung sounds from at least one transducer is plotted as a function of frequency over time.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the display element may be one of a plurality of colors and the method further comprises the step of modifying the color of the display element to reflect intensity of a detected sound at a given time and frequency.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the sound intensity is indicated by one or more colors.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein in the plotted frequency ranges from approximately zero to 500 Hz.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the data to detect adventitious sounds.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the adventitious sounds are selected from the group consisting of:

crackles, wheezes, and rhonchi.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a proposed diagnosis based on the data.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

locating the approximate physical coordinates of the detected sounds through the analysis of the sounds detected by the plurality of transducers.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the approximate physical coordinates are three dimensional.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the display is a visual display of sound locations on a body corresponding to the approximate physical coordinates.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inputting sound to the patient from an input device;

monitoring a speed of the sound to reach a transducer; and

determining characteristics of the patient based on the speed of sound from the input to the transducer.

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inputting sound to the patient from an input device;

monitoring a resonance of the sound at a transducer; and

determining characteristics of the patient based on the resonance of the sound at the transducer.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

distinguishing the detected sounds between interstitial pulmonary fibrosis and congestive heart failure.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dividing the data into phases of inspiration and expiration for analysis.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the dividing is performed manually by an operator.

6. A diagnostic system for use with a patient, the diagnostic system comprising:

a plurality of transducers for placement at various sites around the patient, the transducers configured to generate signals that are responsive to sounds from within the patient;

a sound generator configured to input a sound to the patient;

a data collector and organizer configured to receive the signals generated by the plurality of transducers in response to the input sound; and

a display screen operatively coupled to the data collector and organizer, wherein

the data collector and organizer displays the signals received by the plurality of transducers in response to the input sound on the display screen.

7. The diagnostic system of claim 6 wherein the sound generator is configured to produce a continuous sound.

8. The diagnostic system of claim 6 wherein the sound generator is configured to produce a discontinuous sound.

9. The diagnostic system of claim 6 wherein the sound generator is configured to produce an input sound that varies in frequency over time.

10. The diagnostic system of claim 6 wherein

the sound generator includes a speaker and a tube having two ends,

the speaker is disposed at a first end of the tube, and

a second end of the tube may be received at the patient'"'"'s mouth.

11. The diagnostic system of claim 6 wherein the data collector and organizer includes an application program running on a computer system.

12. The diagnostic system of claim 6 wherein the data collector and organizer is further configured to display any resonating sound that is produced within the patient and continues after the input sound is terminated.

13. The diagnostic system of claim 12 wherein the data collector and organizer is further configured to display a representation of the input sound as well as the signals from one or more transducers in amplitude versus time format along the same time axis.

36. The diagnostic system of claim 6, further comprising:

a cassette to contain the plurality of transducers in a desired placement at various sites around the patient.

37. The diagnostic system of claim 36, wherein the cassette is a foam material that conforms to the patient.

38. The diagnostic system of claim 36, further comprising:

a disposable interface to be used between the cassette and the patient.

39. The diagnostic system of claim 36, wherein the cassette conforms to a surface, the cassette contacting the patient in desired placement as the patient contacts the surface.

40. The diagnostic system of claim 39, wherein the surface is a bed.

41. The diagnostic system of claim 36, wherein the cassette is wearable by the patient.

14-24. -24. (Canceled).