Method and an apparatus for measuring and analyzing movements of a human or an animal using sound signals

• US 8,540,650 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northcube AB
• Original Assignee: Smart Valley Software Oy
• Inventors: Salmi, Seppo, Salmi, Aino, Virtanen, Vin
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Sean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stout, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US12/158,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20090227888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,471 Days
• Field of Search: 600/586
• US Class Current: 600/595
• 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 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/006 Detecting skeletal, cartilage or muscle noise A61B7/003 and A61B7/008 take precedence

Abstract

A method, an arrangement and a computer application for conducting measurements of sleep disorders by capturing and analyzing the sounds associated with movements of the subject during a long-term or overnight monitoring session. A small-sized consumer apparatus such as an MP3 recorder may be attached to the subject for capturing the emanating sounds. Specially selected materials can be used to alter the spectral content of the sound so as to optimize the reception at the recording apparatus.

Claims

1. A portable electronic arrangement for conducting sound-based measurements of sleep disorders, wherein a subject of the measurements is either a human or an animal, said arrangement comprising at least one microphone for capturing a sound signal, a processing unit for processing instructions, a memory for storing instructions and data, an attaching means for facilitating physical positioning to a predetermined measurement location of at least a chest or a limb of the subject or a nearby object, and a user input means for receiving control information,

wherein said arrangement is configured to initiate continuous, digital sound recording utilizing said at least one microphone in response to obtained control information to capture ambient sounds emanating from a vicinity of the measurement location during a measurement period and comprising sounds associated with movements of the subject, wherein said arrangement is configured to capture sounds of body movement against a contact surface external to the body, wherein the body movement is at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

respiratory movement, body movement, tissue movement and limb movement, against the external contact surface,

configured to store at least part of the recorded sound data in said memory,

configured to stop the recording, upon termination of the measurement period, in response to an expiry of a timer or receipt of control information,

wherein said arrangement further comprises sound-modifying material to be positioned on a sound path of the sound of the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to intentionally alter a spectral content of the sound associated with the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to fall on a preferred range relative to an apparatus according to a predetermined criterion prior to receipt by the microphone of the apparatus,

wherein the material is configured to generate higher frequencies to the sound associated with the movement, and

wherein the sound-modifying material alters the spectral content according to the predetermined criterion prior to receipt by the microphone, and wherein said microphone or at least part of an electronic consumer apparatus is coated with said sound-modifying material.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, comprising at least one portable electronic consumer apparatus including said microphone, said processing unit, said memory, andsaid user input means, and said apparatus further includes a communication means for transmitting sound data to a remote entity, wherein said control information is obtained via said communication means.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said attaching means includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of:

a strap, a hook, a clip, a clasp, an indent, a projection, tape, an adhesive surface, an elastic band, a pocket, a stand, a mount, and a recess.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, comprising textile material including a garment or a blanket comprising said attaching means.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, comprising textile material including a garment comprising said attaching means and wherein said garment comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of:

a shirt, a vest, a sock, trousers, a glove, and a wristband.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the sound-modifying material comprises an object coated with, comprising a layer of, or being made of said sound-modifying material.

7. The arrangement of claim 1,

wherein the sound-modifying material comprises an object coated with, comprising a layer of, or being made of said sound-modifying material, and

wherein said object is an element selected from the group consisting of:

a blanket, a sock, trousers, a vest, a shirt, a belt, and a pillowslip.

9. The arrangement of claim 1, further configured to process the captured sound signal and render at least part thereof for visualization, or further comprising a computer for storing the captured sound signal and for transferring it over a communications network to a remote system for analysis.

10. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a vest adapted to accommodate a sound recording apparatus and comprising a number of layers configured to elastically adapt to the respiratory movements of the subject.

11. The arrangement of claim 1, comprising a remote server configured to analyze the sound signal for sleep disorders.

12. The arrangement of claim 1, comprising at least one portable electronic consumer apparatus including said microphone, said processing unit, said memory, and said user input means, wherein at least part of said user input means is positioned in the apparatus to reduce a risk of accidental activation thereof.

13. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the microphone is connected to an MP3 device with recording capability.

16. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the sound-modifying material is in a form of a blanket coated with, comprising a layer of, or being made of said sound-modifying material.

8. A portable electronic arrangement for conducting sound-based measurements of sleep disorders, wherein a subject of the measurements is either a human or an animal, said arrangement comprising at least one microphone for capturing a sound signal, a processing unit for processing instructions, a memory for storing instructions and data, an attaching means for facilitating physical positioning to a predetermined measurement location of at least a chest or a limb of the subject or a nearby object, and a user input means for receiving control information,

wherein said arrangement is configured to initiate continuous, digital sound recording utilizing said at least one microphone in response to obtained control information to capture ambient sounds emanating from a vicinity of the measurement location during a measurement period and comprising sounds associated with movements of the subject, wherein said arrangement is configured to capture sounds of body movement against a contact surface external to the body, wherein the body movement is at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

respiratory movement, body movement, tissue movement and limb movement, against the external contact surface,

configured to store at least part of the recorded sound data in said memory,

configured to stop the recording, upon termination of the measurement period, in response to an expiry of a timer or receipt of control information,

wherein said arrangement further comprises sound-modifying material to be positioned on a sound path of the sound of the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to intentionally alter a spectral content of the sound associated with the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to fall on a preferred range relative to an apparatus according to a predetermined criterion prior to receipt by the microphone of the apparatus,

wherein the material is configured to generate higher frequencies to the sound associated with the movement, and

wherein the sound-modifying material comprises an object coated with, comprising a layer of, or being made of said sound-modifying material, said object comprising a metal wire figure.

14. A portable electronic arrangement for conducting sound-based measurements of sleep disorders, wherein a subject of the measurements is either a human or an animal, said arrangement comprising at least one microphone for capturing a sound signal, a processing unit for processing instructions, a memory for storing instructions and data, an attaching means for facilitating physical positioning to a predetermined measurement location of at least a chest or a limb of the subject or a nearby object, and a user input means for receiving control information,

wherein said arrangement is configured to initiate continuous, digital sound recording utilizing said at least one microphone in response to obtained control information to capture ambient sounds emanating from a vicinity of the measurement location during a measurement period and comprising sounds associated with movements of the subject, wherein said arrangement is configured to capture sounds of body movement against a contact surface external to the body, wherein the body movement is at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

respiratory movement, body movement, tissue movement and limb movement, against the external contact surface,

configured to store at least part of the recorded sound data in said memory,

configured to stop the recording, upon termination of the measurement period, in response to an expiry of a timer or receipt of control information,

wherein said arrangement further comprises sound-modifying material to be positioned on a sound path of the sound of the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to intentionally alter a spectral content of the sound associated with the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to fall on a preferred range relative to an apparatus according to a predetermined criterion prior to receipt by the microphone of the apparatus,

wherein the material is configured to generate higher frequencies to the sound associated with the movement, and

wherein the sound-modifying material is in a form of a rivet coated with, comprising a layer of, or being made of said sound-modifying material.

15. A portable electronic arrangement for conducting sound-based measurements of sleep disorders, wherein a subject of the measurements is either a human or an animal, said arrangement comprising at least one microphone for capturing a sound signal, a processing unit for processing instructions, a memory for storing instructions and data, an attaching means for facilitating physical positioning to a predetermined measurement location of at least a chest or a limb of the subject or a nearby object, and a user input means for receiving control information,

wherein said arrangement is configured to initiate continuous, digital sound recording utilizing said at least one microphone in response to obtained control information to capture ambient sounds emanating from a vicinity of the measurement location during a measurement period and comprising sounds associated with movements of the subject, wherein said arrangement is configured to capture sounds of body movement against a contact surface external to the body, wherein the body movement is at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

respiratory movement, body movement, tissue movement and limb movement, against the external contact surface,

configured to store at least part of the recorded sound data in said memory,

configured to stop the recording, upon termination of the measurement period, in response to an expiry of a timer or receipt of control information,

wherein said arrangement further comprises sound-modifying material to be positioned on a sound path of the sound of the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to intentionally alter a spectral content of the sound associated with the body movement against the contact surface external to the body to fall on a preferred range relative to an apparatus according to a predetermined criterion prior to receipt by the microphone of the apparatus,

wherein the material is configured to generate higher frequencies to the sound associated with the movement, and

wherein the sound-modifying material is in a form of a plastic pearl coated with, comprising a layer of, or being made of said sound-modifying material.