Auscultation system

Abstract

To provide an auscultation system which enables a user to easily recognize biological sound of a subject.SOLUTION: The auscultation system includes a biological sound acquirer that acquires a biological sound, a feature amount extraction circuit that extracts a feature amount signal indicating a feature of the biological sound from the biological sound, a sound source that outputs a predetermined sound source signal, a mixer circuit that mixes the feature amount signal and the sound source signal, and an outputter that outputs at least one of the signal output from the mixer circuit and information based on the signal for visual display.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an auscultation system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a stethoscope for using ultrasound for various diagnoses. The stethoscope in Patent Document 1 has the function of converting the ultrasound to be examined into audible sound waves, enabling direct auscultation of the waveform characteristics of ultrasound generated by living organisms, machines, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-314729 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides an auscultation system that makes it easier for a user to recognize a subject's body sounds. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An auscultation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a body sound acquisition unit that acquires body sounds; a feature extraction circuit that extracts a feature signal indicating a feature of the body sound from the body sound; a sound source that outputs a predetermined sound source signal; a mixer circuit that mixes the feature signal and the sound source signal; an output unit that outputs at least one of the signal output from the mixer circuit or information based on the signal for visual display; Equipped with.

[0006] An auscultation system according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes: a body sound acquisition unit that acquires body sounds; a feature extraction circuit for extracting a feature signal from a biological sound; a sound source that outputs a predetermined sound source signal; a modulation circuit that modulates a sound source signal using the feature signal; an output unit that outputs at least one of the signal output from the modulation circuit and information based on the signal; Equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it becomes easier for a user to recognize the body sounds of a subject. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram illustrating an auscultation device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of an auscultation device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the auscultation device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a time-amplitude graph displayed on a display monitor in the first embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a time-amplitude graph displayed on a display monitor in the first embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a spectrogram image displayed on a display monitor in the first embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an auscultation device according to a second embodiment; [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the auscultation device according to the second embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a spectrum displayed on a display monitor in the second embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a spectrum displayed on a display monitor in the second embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an auscultation device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the auscultation device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] Graph for explaining an example of a method for calculating a risk value [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an auscultation system according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an auscultation device according to a second modification; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] 1. First embodiment 1-1.Configuration FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an auscultation device 100 according to a first embodiment. The auscultation device 100 includes a body sound acquisition unit 10 that detects body signals as sound. The body sound acquisition unit 10 is, for example, a microphone or a vibration sensor. A user such as a doctor or medical professional can detect body sounds using the body sound acquisition unit 10 by bringing the body sound acquisition unit 10 into contact with the skin of a patient, and output the detected body sounds as electrical signals.

[0010] The user can listen to the sound generated by the auscultation device 100 based on the biological sound through an audio output device 91 such as an earphone. While Fig. 1 shows an example in which the audio output device 91 is connected to the auscultation device 100 by wire via an interface such as an earphone jack, the audio output device 91 and the auscultation device 100 may be connected to each other wirelessly so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0011] Furthermore, the auscultation device 100 includes a display monitor 70 that displays information based on the body sounds acquired by the body sound acquisition unit 10. The user can know the condition of the patient by looking at the information displayed on the display monitor 70.

[0012] Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the auscultation device 100 of Fig. 1. As described above, the auscultation device 100 includes the body sound acquisition unit 10 and the display monitor 70. Furthermore, the auscultation device 100 includes a feature extraction circuit 20, a sound source 30, a mixer circuit 40, an image processing unit 60, and an output interface 80.

[0013] The feature extraction circuit 20 extracts a feature signal indicating the characteristics of the body sound from the body sound acquired by the body sound acquisition unit 10. Such a feature signal is a signal indicating the characteristics of, for example, high-pitched sounds such as wheezing sounds and whistling sounds, low-pitched sounds such as blood flow sounds, specific frequency range components indicating asthma attack sounds, and other noises. Here, a high-pitched sound is, for example, a sound having a frequency higher than a predetermined first frequency, and a low-pitched sound is, for example, a sound having a frequency lower than a predetermined second frequency. The first frequency and the second frequency may be the same or different.

[0014] The feature signal may represent the degree of asthma attack, whistle, or other noise. Additionally or alternatively, the feature signal may represent the degree of cardiac valve stenosis, regurgitation, or palpitations. Additionally or alternatively, the feature signal may represent the degree of hyperinflammation, interstitial inflammation, or crepitus.

[0015] The sound source 30 is a sound source device that outputs a sound source signal of a predetermined frequency. The predetermined frequency is, for example, a frequency of 1500 Hz or less that is easy for elderly people to hear, such as 600 Hz, but is not limited to this.

[0016] The mixer circuit 40 is a mixing circuit or frequency mixer that mixes two inputs and outputs the mixed result.

[0017] The image processing unit 60 generates image data based on the signal received from the mixer circuit 40. For example, the image processing unit 60 is realized by various processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The image processing unit 60 may be composed of one or more processors. The image processing unit 60 realizes the above-mentioned functions by operating in accordance with instructions from a program stored in a storage device such as a ROM. The image processing unit 60 may also have built-in memory such as a RAM that functions as a working area for the processor.

[0018] The display monitor 70 is a display device capable of displaying information, such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc. The display monitor 70 displays an image represented by the image data generated by the image processing unit 60.

[0019] The output interface 80 connects the auscultation device 100 to an output device such as an audio output device 91 or a display 92 so that the auscultation device 100 can output signals or information to the output device. The output interface 80 may be a communication circuit that performs data communication in accordance with an existing wired or wireless communication standard.

[0020] 1-2.Operation The following describes the operation of the auscultation device 100 configured as above. Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the auscultation device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0021] First, the body sound acquiring unit 10 acquires body sounds (S1). For example, the body sound acquiring unit 10 detects body sounds using a microphone, a vibration sensor, or the like, and outputs the detected body sounds as electrical signals.

[0022] Next, the feature extraction circuit 20 extracts, from the body sound acquired by the body sound acquisition unit 10, a feature signal indicating the features of the body sound (S2).

[0023] The sound source 30 outputs a sound source signal of a predetermined frequency (S3). Unlike the example shown in Fig. 3, step S3 may be executed before step S1 or between steps S1 and S2.

[0024] The mixer circuit 40 mixes the feature signal extracted by the feature extraction circuit 20 with the sound source signal output from the sound source 30 to generate a mixed signal (S4).

[0025] The auscultation device 100 outputs the mixed signal generated by the mixer circuit 40 to the audio output device 91 via the output interface 80 (S5). The auscultation device 100 includes, for example, a processor such as a CPU or a control unit including a processor, and controls step S5 using the processor.

[0026] The sound output from the audio output device 91 will be described below. The biological sounds heard by users such as doctors and medical professionals using conventional stethoscopes may include various sounds, such as high-pitched wheezing sounds and low-volume blood flow sounds. Some of these sounds may be difficult for some users to hear. For example, elderly users may have difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds such as wheezing and whistling sounds. The auscultation device 100 according to this embodiment performs the processes of steps S2 to S4, and adjusts the output sound in accordance with the biological sounds if the biological sounds contain predetermined characteristics. This makes it easier for the user to recognize that the biological sounds contain predetermined characteristics.

[0027] When the mixer circuit 40 does not receive an input of a signal from the feature extraction circuit 20, the mixer circuit 40 outputs the sound source signal input from the sound source 30 (for example, a tone sound with a frequency of 600 Hz).

[0028] When the mixer circuit 40 receives a feature signal from the feature extraction circuit 20, it mixes the feature signal with the sound source signal and outputs the mixed result. For example, when the mixer circuit 40 receives a feature signal from the feature extraction circuit 20, it outputs a signal in which at least one of the frequency and amplitude is changed compared to the feature signal according to the waveform of the feature signal. For example, the mixer circuit 40 increases the frequency of the output signal according to the volume of high-pitched sounds such as wheezing and whistling. Additionally or alternatively, the mixer circuit 40 may reduce the amplitude of the output signal or the volume of the output sound when the feature signal contains low-pitched sounds unrelated to asthma characteristics (non-asthmatic) equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Additionally or alternatively, when high-pitched sounds such as wheezing and whistling sounds are input, the mixer circuit 40 may shift the frequency of the input signal so that the sound is in a range that is easy for the user to hear.

[0029] The image processing unit 60 generates image data based on the mixed signal generated by the mixer circuit 40 in step S4 (S6). The display monitor 70 displays an image represented by the image data generated by the image processing unit 60 (S7).

[0030] 4 to 6 are schematic diagrams illustrating screens displayed on the display monitor 70 in step S7. The image data generated based on the mixed signal in step S6 is, for example, image data showing a time-amplitude graph indicating the mixed signal as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, or a spectrogram image as shown in FIG. 6. In this way, the display monitor 70 visually displays the characteristics of the body sounds. By viewing the information displayed on the display monitor 70, the user can learn about the body sounds and, ultimately, the patient's condition.

[0031] In addition to or instead of step S7, the auscultation device 100 may output the image data generated by the image processing unit 60 via the output interface 80 to an external device such as a display 92 or an external computer.

[0032] The auscultation device 100 only needs to output at least one of the mixed signal generated by the mixer circuit 40 or information based on the mixed signal, and unlike Figure 3, it may be configured to execute only steps S1 to S5, or only steps S1 to S4, S6, and S7.

[0033] The auscultation device 100 is also capable of detecting asthma based on the degree of match between the mixed signal generated by the mixer circuit 40 and a signal pattern characteristic of asthma.

[0034] 1-3.Summary As described above, the auscultation device 100 according to this embodiment includes the body sound acquisition unit 10 that acquires body sounds, the feature extraction circuit 20, the sound source 30 that outputs a predetermined sound source signal, the mixer circuit 40, and the output interface 80, which is an example of an output unit. The feature extraction circuit 20 extracts a feature signal indicating the characteristics of the body sounds from the body sounds acquired by the body sound acquisition unit 10. The mixer circuit 40 mixes the feature signal extracted by the feature extraction circuit 20 with the sound source signal output from the sound source 30. The output interface 80 outputs at least one of the signal output from the mixer circuit 40 or information based on the signal.

[0035] According to this configuration, the user can easily recognize the subject's body sounds, and therefore the subject's condition, from the signals or information output from the auscultation device 100.

[0036] The auscultation device 100 according to this embodiment may further include an image processing unit 60. The image processing unit 60 generates image data that visually displays the characteristics of body sounds based on the signal output from the mixer circuit 40. In this case, the output interface 80 outputs the image data as information based on the signal. The auscultation device 100 may further include a display monitor 70 that displays the image data.

[0037] According to this configuration, the user can visually recognize the body sounds of the subject and, ultimately, the condition of the subject from the image data.

[0038] 2. Second embodiment The following describes the auscultation device according to the second embodiment. In the following description of the auscultation device according to this embodiment, the same components, operations, etc. as those of the auscultation device according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted.

[0039] Fig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an auscultation device 200 according to the second embodiment. Compared to the auscultation device 100 of Fig. 1, the auscultation device 200 further includes a synthesizer 50. Moreover, instead of the mixer circuit 40, the auscultation device 200 includes a frequency modulation circuit (hereinafter referred to as an "FM modulation circuit") 41, an amplitude modulation circuit (hereinafter referred to as an "AM modulation circuit") 42, and a phase modulation circuit (hereinafter referred to as a "PM modulation circuit") 43.

[0040] In this embodiment, the feature extraction circuit 20 includes a high-pass filter (HPF) 21, a low-pass filter (LPF) 22, and a band-pass filter (BPF) .

[0041] Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the auscultation device 200 according to this embodiment. Compared with the flowchart of Fig. 3 according to the first embodiment, the flowchart of Fig. 8 includes step S11 instead of step S4.

[0042] 7 and 8, the body sounds acquired by the body sound acquisition unit 10 are input to the HPF 21, the LPF 22, and the BPF 23. The HPF 21, the LPF 22, and the BPF 23 each extract a feature signal indicating the features of the body sounds (S2).

[0043] The auscultation device 200 according to this embodiment can be applied to, for example, extracting characteristics related to a patient's asthma. The HPF 21 can extract high-frequency components such as whistling sounds related to asthma from body sounds. The cutoff frequency of the HPF 21 is, for example, but not limited to, 1 kHz to 10 kHz. The LPF 22 can extract low-frequency sounds that do not exhibit characteristics of asthma, such as blood flow sounds and noise (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "non-asthma low-frequency sounds") from body sounds. The cutoff frequency of the LPF 22 is, for example, but not limited to, 10 Hz to 1 kHz. The BPF 23 can extract specific frequency range components that exhibit characteristics of asthma attack sounds from body sounds. The passband width of the BPF 23 is, for example, but not limited to, 1 kHz to 3 kHz.

[0044] The FM modulation circuit 41, the AM modulation circuit 42, and the PM modulation circuit 43 modulate the sound source signal output from the sound source 30 using the input feature signal (S11). The carrier wave of the modulation is the sound source signal. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the FM modulation circuit 41 modulates the sound source signal using the high-frequency feature signal output from the HPF 21, the AM modulation circuit 42 modulates the sound source signal using the low-frequency feature signal output from the LPF 22, and the PM modulation circuit 43 modulates the sound source signal using the signal output from the BPF 23.

[0045] The synthesizer 50 synthesizes the modulated signals output from the FM modulation circuit 41, the AM modulation circuit 42, and the PM modulation circuit 43. For example, the synthesizer 50 adds the modulated signals output from the FM modulation circuit 41, the AM modulation circuit 42, and the PM modulation circuit 43 together.

[0046] The auscultation device 200 outputs the synthesized signal output from the synthesizer 50 to the audio output device 91 via the output interface 80 (S5). The image processing unit 60 generates image data based on the synthesized signal output from the synthesizer 50 (S6). The display monitor 70 displays an image represented by the image data generated by the image processing unit 60 (S7).

[0047] The image data generated in step S6 of this embodiment may be a time-amplitude graph (see FIGS. 4 and 5) and / or a spectrogram image (see FIG. 6), similar to the first embodiment. The image data generated in step S6 of this embodiment may be an image showing a spectrum (frequency-amplitude graph) as shown in FIG. 9 or 10. fc in FIGS. 9 and 10 represents the frequency of the carrier wave (sound source signal). fm in FIG. 10 is the frequency of the sound source signal, which is the carrier wave.

[0048] Although the above describes an example in which the auscultation device 200 includes three modulation circuits, the auscultation device may include one or more modulation circuits, and may include, for example, only one FM modulation circuit 41. When the auscultation device 200 includes only one modulation circuit, the auscultation device 200 does not need to include the synthesizer 50.

[0049] As described above, the auscultation device 200 according to this embodiment includes the body sound acquisition unit 10 that acquires body sounds, the feature extraction circuit 20, the sound source 30 that outputs a predetermined sound source signal, a modulation circuit, and an output interface 80. The feature extraction circuit 20 extracts a feature signal indicating the characteristics of the body sounds from the body sounds acquired by the body sound acquisition unit 10. The modulation circuit modulates the sound source signal using the feature signal. The output interface 80 outputs at least one of the signal output from the mixer circuit 40 or information based on the signal.

[0050] According to this configuration, the user can easily recognize the subject's body sounds, and therefore the subject's condition, from the signals or information output from the auscultation device 200.

[0051] The feature extraction circuit 20 may extract a signal indicating the features of asthma as a feature signal from the body sound.

[0052] This configuration makes it easier for the user to recognize information about asthma.

[0053] The feature extraction circuit 20 may include an HPF 21 (an example of a first extraction circuit) that extracts a first signal having a frequency higher than a predetermined frequency from the body sound, and a BPF 23 (an example of a second extraction circuit) that extracts a second signal indicating a predetermined frequency range component representing asthma attack sounds from the body sound. The modulation circuit may include a first modulator that modulates the sound source signal using the first signal, and a second modulator that modulates the sound source signal using the second signal. For example, the first modulator includes an FM modulation circuit 41, and the second modulator includes a PM modulation circuit 43.

[0054] The feature extraction circuit 20 may further include an LPF 22 (an example of a third extraction circuit) that extracts a third signal indicating noise from the body sound. In this case, the modulation circuit may further include a third modulator that modulates the sound source signal using the third signal. For example, the third modulator includes a PM modulation circuit 43.

[0055] The auscultation device 200 according to this embodiment may further include a combiner 50 that combines the first modulated signal output from the first modulator and the second modulated signal output from the second modulator.

[0056] The auscultation device 200 according to this embodiment may further include an image processing unit 60 that generates image data that visually displays the characteristics of body sounds based on the signal output from the modulation circuit. In this case, the output interface 80 outputs the image data as information based on the signal. The auscultation device 200 may further include a display monitor 70 that displays the image data.

[0057] According to this configuration, the user can visually recognize the body sounds of the subject and, ultimately, the condition of the subject from the image data.

[0058] The output interface 80 may output the signal output from the modulation circuit as sound.

[0059] According to this configuration, the user can recognize the subject's body sounds and, ultimately, the subject's condition through the voice.

[0060] 3. Third embodiment The auscultation device according to the third embodiment will be described below. In the following description of the auscultation device according to this embodiment, the same components, operations, etc. as those of the auscultation device according to the first or second embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted.

[0061] 11 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an auscultation device 300 according to the third embodiment. The auscultation device 300 includes a body sound acquisition unit 10, a feature extraction circuit 20, a sound source 30, a synthesizer 50, an image processing unit 60, a display monitor 70, and an output interface 80. These components are similar to those of the auscultation device according to the first or second embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0062] The auscultation device 300 further includes a risk value calculation circuit 310, an asthma diagnosis circuit 320, a frequency shift keying circuit (hereinafter referred to as the “FSK modulation circuit”) 341, and an amplitude shift keying circuit (hereinafter referred to as the “ASK modulation circuit”) 342.

[0063] 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the auscultation device 300 according to this embodiment. First, the body sound acquisition unit 10 acquires body sounds (S1). The feature extraction circuit 20 extracts feature signals indicating the features of the body sounds acquired by the body sound acquisition unit 10 from the body sounds (S2). The sound source 30 outputs a sound source signal of a predetermined frequency (S3).

[0064] The risk value calculation circuit 310 calculates a risk value based on the feature signal extracted by the feature extraction circuit 20 (S21). For example, the risk value calculation circuit 310 performs a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the feature signal, and calculates a risk value based on the auscultation observation data that is the result of the FFT processing.

[0065] Fig. 13 is a graph illustrating an example of a method for calculating a risk value. The graph in Fig. 13 shows auscultation observation data that is the result of FFT processing by the risk value calculation circuit 310. Based on the FFT processing result, the risk value calculation circuit 310 calculates at least one of the seizure sound energy E_S, non-asthma low-pitched sound energy E_L, whistle sound energy E_H, and disease risk value.

[0066] Seizure sound energy E_S represents the energy of specific frequency range components that are characteristic of asthma seizure sounds. Seizure sound energy E_S is, for example, the ratio of energy in the seizure sound band to the total energy of the auscultation observation data. The seizure sound band is, for example, a band between 1 kHz and 3 kHz.

[0067] The non-asthmatic low-frequency energy E_L represents the energy of low-frequency components (non-asthmatic) unrelated to asthmatic characteristics. For example, the non-asthmatic low-frequency energy E_L is the ratio of the energy in the non-asthmatic low-frequency band to the total energy of the auscultation observation data. The non-asthmatic low-frequency band is, for example, the band between 10 Hz and 1 kHz.

[0068] The whistle energy E_H represents the energy of the whistle component, which is characteristic of asthma. The whistle energy E_H is, for example, the ratio of the energy in the whistle band to the total energy of the auscultation observation data. The whistle band is, for example, a band between 1 Hz and 10 kHz.

[0069] The disease risk value is calculated based on the seizure sound energy E_S, the non-asthma low-pitched sound energy E_L, and the whistle sound energy E_H, and represents the risk value of asthma. The disease risk value is, for example, the sum of E_H / E_L and E_S / E_L.

[0070] 12, the asthma diagnostic circuit 320 performs an asthma diagnosis based on the risk value calculated by the risk value calculation circuit 310 (S22). For example, if the risk value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the asthma diagnostic circuit 320 outputs a digital value of "1" or "H" indicating asthma, and if the risk value is less than the predetermined threshold, it outputs a digital value of "0" or "L" indicating no asthma.

[0071] The auscultation device 300 may output a signal indicating the risk value calculated by the risk value calculation circuit 310, or may output a signal indicating the diagnosis result by the asthma diagnosis circuit 320. For example, the FSK modulation circuit 341 modulates the sound source signal output from the sound source 30 using the signal indicating the risk value (S23), and the ASK modulation circuit 342 modulates the sound source signal using the signal indicating the diagnosis result (S24). The combiner 50 combines the modulated signals output from the FSK modulation circuit 341 and the ASK modulation circuit 342. For example, the combiner 50 adds the modulated signals together.

[0072] The auscultation device 300 outputs the synthesized signal output from the synthesizer 50 to the audio output device 91 via the output interface 80 (S5). The image processing unit 60 generates image data based on the synthesized signal output from the synthesizer 50 (S6). The display monitor 70 displays an image represented by the image data generated by the image processing unit 60 (S7).

[0073] The auscultation device 300 according to this embodiment uses a different modulation method (ASK or FSK) for each feature and outputs a sound obtained by synthesizing the modulated signals. The user can determine the magnitude of each feature from the sound heard. When image data is generated based on the synthesized signal, the user can determine the magnitude of each feature from the image data.

[0074] For example, in this embodiment, if the risk value is high but the diagnosis result is L (non-asthma), only the pitch of the sound will fluctuate, while if the risk value is high and the diagnosis result is H (asthma), the sound will have a wider range of pitch and will also be louder. This allows the user to instantly identify multiple parameters from a single sound.

[0075] The above describes an example in which the signal indicating the diagnosis result by the asthma diagnosis circuit 320 is ASK modulated. However, the auscultation device 300 may be provided with a pulse modulation circuit instead of the ASK modulation circuit 342, and pulse modulation may be applied to the signal indicating the diagnosis result.

[0076] Although the auscultation device 300 has been described as having two modulation circuits, the auscultation device may have one or more modulation circuits, or may not have any modulation circuits. When the auscultation device 300 has only one modulation circuit, or when the auscultation device 300 has no modulation circuit, the auscultation device 300 does not need to have the synthesizer 50.

[0077] 4. Fourth embodiment In the above embodiments, examples have been described in which the auscultation device not only performs the biological sound acquisition function but also other processes such as feature extraction processing, but it is sufficient for the auscultation device to acquire biological sounds, and functions other than the biological sound acquisition function may be performed by other devices. As one such example, an auscultation system according to a fourth embodiment will be described below.

[0078] In the following description of the auscultation system according to this embodiment, the same configurations, operations, etc. as those of the auscultation device 100 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted. Furthermore, this embodiment can be combined not only with the first embodiment, but also with the second or third embodiment.

[0079] 14 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an auscultation system 1 according to the fourth embodiment. The auscultation system 1 includes an auscultation device 400 and an analysis server 500.

[0080] The auscultation device 400 includes a body sound acquisition unit 10, a processor 401, and a communication interface 402. The processor 401 includes an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU. The communication interface 402 includes a communication circuit that performs data communication in accordance with an existing wired communication standard or wireless communication standard.

[0081] The auscultation device 400 is used, for example, by a patient. The patient holds the auscultation device 400 against their chest to acquire body sound data, and transmits the acquired body sound data to the analysis server 500.

[0082] The analysis server 500 includes a feature extraction circuit 20, a sound source 30, a mixer circuit 40, an image processing unit 60, an output interface 80, and a communication interface 501. The analysis server 500 also includes a processor such as a CPU or a control unit including a processor, and the processor realizes the following functions.

[0083] The analysis server 500 acquires the body sound data transmitted by the auscultation device 400 via the communication interface 501 .

[0084] The feature extraction circuit 20 extracts a feature signal indicating the features of the received body sound from the body sound. The mixer circuit 40 mixes the feature signal with the sound source signal output from the sound source 30 to generate a mixed signal. The analysis server 500 outputs the mixed signal generated by the mixer circuit 40 to an audio output device 91 via an output interface 80. The audio output device 91 is a device such as an earphone or a PC used by a user such as a doctor or medical professional, and is connected to the analysis server 500 via a network, for example. This allows the user to remotely recognize that the body sound acquired by the auscultation device 400 contains a predetermined feature.

[0085] The image processing unit 60 generates image data based on the mixed signal generated by the mixer circuit 40. The analysis server 500 outputs the image data generated by the image processing unit 60 via the output interface 80 to a display 92 that can be used by users such as doctors and medical professionals. By viewing the information displayed on the display 92, the user can remotely learn about the body sounds and, ultimately, the condition of the patient.

[0086] The above describes an example in which the analysis server 500 includes a feature extraction circuit 20, a sound source 30, a mixer circuit 40, and an image processing unit 60. However, the functions of these components do not have to be executed by a single analysis server 500, and may be realized by multiple devices connected to each other.

[0087] 5. Other Embodiments As described above, the embodiments have been described as examples of the technology in the present disclosure. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to these, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made as appropriate. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine the components described in the above embodiments to create new embodiments. Below, examples of modified examples as other embodiments are given.

[0088] 5-1. First modified example In the second embodiment, the auscultation device 200 is illustrated as including an analog modulation circuit as shown in Fig. 7, but the auscultation device of the present disclosure may include a digital modulation circuit instead of the analog modulation circuit. Compared with Fig. 7, such an auscultation device may include, for example, an FSK modulation circuit instead of the FM modulation circuit 41, an ASK modulation circuit instead of the AM modulation circuit 42, and a PSK modulation circuit instead of the PM modulation circuit 43.

[0089] 5-2. Second modified example In each of the above embodiments, an example has been described in which the audio output device 91 receives a signal output from the mixer circuit 40 or a signal output from the modulation circuit, but the audio output device 91 may also receive a body sound acquired by the body sound acquisition unit 10.

[0090] 15 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an auscultation device 600 according to a second modification. Compared to the auscultation device 100 of FIG. 1, the auscultation device 600 further includes an operation unit 601 and a selection unit 602.

[0091] The operation unit 601 is, for example, a button provided on the exterior of the auscultation device 600. The operation unit 601 transmits a switching signal to the selection unit 602 in response to a user operation such as pressing a button.

[0092] The selection unit 602 switches the signal to be output to the audio output device 91 in response to the switching signal. For example, the selection unit 602 selects, in response to the switching signal, whether to output the body sound acquired by the body sound acquisition unit 10 or the signal output from the mixer circuit 40 to the audio output device 91. Alternatively, the selection unit 602 may output both the body sound acquired by the body sound acquisition unit 10 and the signal output from the mixer circuit 40 to the audio output device 91 in response to the switching signal.

[0093] 6.Examples The following describes exemplary aspects of the present disclosure.

[0094] <Aspect 1> a body sound acquisition unit that acquires body sounds; a feature extraction circuit that extracts a feature signal indicating a feature of the body sound from the body sound; a sound source that outputs a predetermined sound source signal; a mixer circuit that mixes the feature signal and the sound source signal; an output unit that outputs at least one of the signal output from the mixer circuit or information based on the signal for visual display; An auscultation system comprising:

[0095] <Aspect 2> an image processing unit that generates image data that visually displays the characteristics of the body sounds based on the signal output from the mixer circuit, the output unit outputs the image data as the information. 2. The auscultation system according to embodiment 1.

[0096] <Aspect 3> an image processing unit that generates image data that visually displays the characteristics of the body sounds based on the signal output from the mixer circuit; and a display unit that displays the image data. 3. The auscultation system according to claim 1 or 2.

[0097] <Aspect 4> a body sound acquisition unit that acquires body sounds; a feature extraction circuit that extracts a feature signal from the body sound; a sound source that outputs a predetermined sound source signal; a modulation circuit that modulates the sound source signal using the feature signal; an output unit that outputs at least one of the signal output from the modulation circuit or information based on the signal; An auscultation system comprising:

[0098] <Aspect 5> 5. The auscultation system according to claim 4, wherein the feature extraction circuit extracts, from the body sound, a signal indicative of a feature of asthma as the feature signal.

[0099] <Aspect 6> The feature extraction circuit a first extraction circuit that extracts a first signal that exhibits whistle-like sound characteristics from the body sound; a second extraction circuit that extracts a second signal indicative of a predetermined range component representing an asthma attack sound from the body sound, The modulation circuit a first modulator that modulates the sound source signal using the first signal; a second modulator that modulates the sound source signal using the second signal; 6. The auscultation system according to embodiment 5.

[0100] <Aspect 7> the feature extraction circuit further includes a third extraction circuit that extracts a third signal indicating noise from the body sound; the modulation circuit further includes a third modulator that modulates the sound source signal using the third signal; 7. The auscultation system according to embodiment 6.

[0101] <Aspect 8> 8. The auscultation system according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising a combiner that combines the first modulated signal output from the first modulator and the second modulated signal output from the second modulator.

[0102] <Aspect 9> the first modulator includes an FM modulation circuit; the second modulator includes a PM modulation circuit; The auscultation system according to any one of aspects 6 to 8.

[0103] <Aspect 10> an image processing unit that generates image data that visually displays the characteristics of the body sound based on the signal output from the modulation circuit, the output unit outputs the image data as the information. 10. The auscultation system according to any one of aspects 4 to 9.

[0104] <Aspect 11> an image processing unit that generates image data that visually displays the characteristics of the body sound based on the signal output from the modulation circuit; and a display unit that displays the image data. The auscultation system according to any one of aspects 4 to 10.

[0105] <Aspect 12> 12. The auscultation system according to any one of aspects 4 to 11, wherein the output unit outputs the signal output from the modulation circuit as sound.

[0106] <Aspect 13> the output unit is configured to be able to output the body sounds acquired by the body sound acquisition unit, The auscultation system further includes a selection unit that selects whether the voice or the body sound is to be output from the output unit. 13. The auscultation system according to claim 12. [Industrial Applicability]

[0107] The present disclosure is applicable to auscultation devices and systems. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1. Auscultation System 10. Body sound acquisition unit 20 Feature extraction circuit 21 High Pass Filter (HPF) 22 Low-pass filter (LPF) 23 Bandpass filter (BPF) 30 sound sources 40 Mixer circuit 41 FM modulation circuit 42 AM modulation circuit 43 PM modulation circuit 50 Synthesizer 60 Image processing section 70 Display Monitor 80 output interface 91 Audio output device 92 Display 100 Auscultation Devices 200 Auscultation Device 300 Auscultation Device 310 Risk Value Calculation Circuit 320 Asthma Diagnostic Circuit 341 FSK modulation circuit 342 ASK modulation circuit 400 Auscultation Device 401 processor 402 Communication Interface 500 Analysis Server 501 Communication Interface 600 Auscultation Device 601 Operation unit 602 Selection Section

Claims

1. a body sound acquisition unit that acquires body sounds; a feature extraction circuit that extracts a feature signal indicating a feature of the body sound from the body sound; a sound source that outputs a predetermined sound source signal; a mixer circuit that mixes the feature signal and the sound source signal; an output unit that outputs at least one of the signal output from the mixer circuit or information based on the signal for visual display; An auscultation system comprising:

2. an image processing unit that generates image data that visually displays the characteristics of the body sounds based on the signal output from the mixer circuit, the output unit outputs the image data as the information. The auscultation system according to claim 1 .

3. an image processing unit that generates image data that visually displays the characteristics of the body sounds based on the signal output from the mixer circuit; and a display unit that displays the image data. The auscultation system according to claim 1 .

4. a body sound acquisition unit that acquires body sounds; a feature extraction circuit that extracts a feature signal from the body sound; a sound source that outputs a predetermined sound source signal; a modulation circuit that modulates the sound source signal using the feature signal; an output unit that outputs at least one of the signal output from the modulation circuit and information based on the signal; An auscultation system comprising:

5. The auscultation system according to claim 4 , wherein the feature extraction circuit extracts a signal indicating a feature of asthma from the body sound as the feature signal.

6. The feature extraction circuit a first extraction circuit that extracts a first signal that exhibits whistle-like sound characteristics from the body sound; a second extraction circuit that extracts a second signal indicative of a predetermined range component representing an asthma attack sound from the body sound, The modulation circuit a first modulator that modulates the sound source signal using the first signal; a second modulator that modulates the sound source signal using the second signal; The auscultation system according to claim 5.

7. the feature extraction circuit further includes a third extraction circuit that extracts a third signal indicating noise from the body sound; the modulation circuit further includes a third modulator that modulates the sound source signal using the third signal; The auscultation system according to claim 6.

8. 7. The auscultation system according to claim 6, further comprising a combiner that combines the first modulated signal output from the first modulator and the second modulated signal output from the second modulator.

9. the first modulator includes an FM modulation circuit; the second modulator includes a PM modulation circuit; The auscultation system according to claim 6.

10. an image processing unit that generates image data that visually displays the characteristics of the body sound based on the signal output from the modulation circuit; the output unit outputs the image data as the information. The auscultation system according to claim 4.

11. an image processing unit that generates image data that visually displays the characteristics of the body sound based on the signal output from the modulation circuit; and a display unit that displays the image data. The auscultation system according to claim 4.

12. The auscultation system according to claim 4 , wherein the output unit outputs the signal output from the modulation circuit as sound.

13. the output unit is configured to be able to output the body sounds acquired by the body sound acquisition unit, The auscultation system further includes a selection unit that selects whether the voice or the body sound is to be output from the output unit. The auscultation system according to claim 12.

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