Base station for a digital stethoscope, and applications thereof
Inventors
McLane, Ian Mitra • McLane, Daniel Perrine
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10716534-B1
Publication Date
2020-07-21
Expiration Date
Abstract
Embodiments disclosed herein improve digital stethoscopes and their application and operation. A first method detects of a respiratory abnormality using a convolution. A second method counts coughs for a patient. A third method predicts a respiratory event based on a detected trend. A fourth method forecasts characteristics of a future respiratory event. In a fifth embodiment, a base station is provided for a digital stethoscope.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a digital stethoscope system and base station architecture for respiratory monitoring using a noise signal received from a digital stethoscope. A wireless charging unit charges the digital stethoscope when it rests on the exterior of a housing and detects when the digital stethoscope becomes detached. When detachment is detected, a communication unit receives the noise signal and a control unit analyzes the noise signal for a respiratory event.
The base station communicates the respiratory event to a cloud-based service. The system includes a digital stethoscope having a microphone adapted to listen to a chest noise, a battery, and a first communication unit, and a base station having a second communication unit coupled to the wireless charging unit.
The disclosed architecture supports respiratory event analysis and respiratory condition prediction using trained convolutional neural network logic and time-series prediction using an LSTM network with weights. The document further describes encoding past respiratory events into convolution vectors, predicting a future convolution vector, and decoding into a predicted feature space, and logging cough information for cloud transmission.
The base station implementation described includes signal processing modules and hardware/compute components for real-time audio circuit operation and cloud interaction, together with detachment detection via a contact sensor and air quality sensing for pollution thresholds.
Claims Coverage
The document contains two independent claims. Both independently cover a base-station-side architecture that detects detachment, receives a noise signal, analyzes for respiratory events, and communicates the respiratory event to a cloud-based service, and a system-level configuration combining a digital stethoscope and the base station for detecting a respiratory condition from chest noise with cloud communication.
Base station with wireless charging, detachment detection, noise-signal analysis, and cloud communication
A base station having a housing configured to accept the digital stethoscope; a wireless charging unit within the housing configured to charge when the digital stethoscope rests on the exterior of the housing and further detect when the digital stethoscope becomes detached; a communication unit coupled to the wireless charging unit configured to receive a noise signal from the digital stethoscope when detachment is detected; and a control unit coupled to the communication unit configured to analyze the noise signal for a respiratory event, wherein the communication unit communicates the respiratory event to a cloud-based service.
System for detecting a respiratory condition using a digital stethoscope and base station with cloud communication
A system for detecting a respiratory condition comprising a digital stethoscope including a microphone adapted to listen to a chest noise, a battery, and a first communication unit; and a base station having a housing configured to accept the digital stethoscope; a wireless charging unit within the housing configured to charge when the digital stethoscope rests on the exterior of the housing and detect when detached; a second communication unit coupled to the wireless charging unit configured to receive a noise signal from the digital stethoscope when detachment is detected; and a control unit coupled to the second communication unit configured to analyze the noise signal for a respiratory event, wherein the second communication unit communicates the respiratory event to a cloud-based service.
Across the independent claims, the core coverage centers on a base station that wirelessly charges and detects detachment, receives chest-noise signals as a noise signal, analyzes for a respiratory event via a control unit, and communicates the respiratory event to a cloud-based service within a system that includes a digital stethoscope microphone and battery.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
Respiratory monitoring using a digital stethoscope and base station to detect respiratory events and communicate respiratory events to a cloud-based service.
Cough detection with cough counting logged and sent to a cloud service.
Predicting future respiratory event likelihood and forecasting future respiratory sound characteristics by encoding past respiratory events into convolution vectors and decoding into a predicted feature space.
Air quality sensing for pollution thresholds in combination with respiratory-event analysis and prediction logic.
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