Systems, devices, and methods for performing active auscultation and detecting acoustic energy measurements

Abstract

Active auscultation may be used to determine characteristics of an organ (e.g., lungs or heart) of a user.SOLUTION: Acoustic or piezoelectric signals (e.g., pulses, tones, and / or broadband pulses) are projected into the body or thorax of an animal (typically a human). The signal may interact with the body or the lungs, possibly causing resonance in the body / lungs. The resulting signal is emitted from the body and can be analyzed to determine, for example, the resonant frequency or resonant frequencies of the lungs, and / or how the sound is otherwise absorbed, reflected, or altered by the body. This information may indicate characteristics of the lungs, such as lung capacity, the volume of air trapped in the lungs, and / or the presence of COPD.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (Related Applications) This application is a non-provisional application claiming the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 663,262, entitled "ACTIVE AUSCULTATION DEVICE AND SONIC ENERGY MEASUREMENT SENSOR," filed April 27, 2018, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 773,002, entitled "SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR PERFORMING ACTIVE AUSCULTATION AND SONIC ENERGY MEASUREMENTS," filed November 29, 2018, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to systems, devices, and methods for performing active auscultation and detecting acoustic energy measurements. [Background technology]

[0003] Auscultation is used to determine the condition of an organ inside an animal's body, typically the heart or lungs. A signal is introduced into the body, usually by tapping lightly with the hand on the chest or back. After this signal interacts with the organ of interest (typically the lungs), it is detected by the stethoscope. The detected signal can be analyzed to determine the condition of the organ. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 663,262 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 773,002 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention provides active auscultation to determine characteristics of a user's organs (e.g., lungs or heart). Acoustic or piezoelectric signals (e.g., pulses, tones, and / or broadband pulses) are projected into the body or chest of an animal (typically a human). The signals interact with the body or lungs and may in some cases cause resonances within the body / lungs. The resulting signals emanate from the body and can be analyzed to determine, for example, the resonant frequency or frequencies of the lungs and / or how sound is otherwise absorbed, reflected, or altered by the body. This information can indicate lung characteristics such as lung volume and / or the presence of COPD. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One method of active auscultation disclosed herein projects an acoustic signal into a user's body toward a target of interest, often the user's heart and / or lungs (both). The acoustic signal can be projected into the user's body continuously, periodically, and / or as pulses or short-duration bursts lasting approximately 0.1 to 5 seconds. In some embodiments, the acoustic signal can be a broadband signal including multiple frequencies, e.g., ranging from 2,000 Hz to 30,000 Hz.

[0007] A portion of the acoustic signal emanate from the user's body, e.g., via backscatter or transmission, and is received by a receiver, such as a microphone. Characteristics of the received acoustic signal are then determined. Exemplary characteristics include the strength, duration, and / or frequency of the received acoustic signal. The characteristics may be provided to an operator.

[0008] In some embodiments, these steps may be repeated multiple times and the characteristics of the received sounds may be compared to one another to, for example, determine changes in the characteristics over time and / or determine whether the determined characteristics correspond to other factors such as improvements in the user's health, adverse health events, weather factors, environmental factors, etc. The comparison may be provided to an operator.

[0009] Additionally or alternatively, the determined characteristic may be compared to a predetermined value for the characteristic to determine how the user's characteristic compares to other characteristics to deduce similarities or patterns that can be used, for example, to diagnose the user and / or predict when an adverse event is likely to occur.

[0010] Additionally or alternatively, in some cases, the duration of the signal, the strength of the signal, and / or the frequencies contained in the signal may be adjusted, for example, depending on the desired characteristics of the received acoustic signal and / or depending on the lack of a sufficiently clear received acoustic signal.

[0011] In some cases, the characteristics may be used to determine the volume of air trapped in the user's lungs and / or the user's lung capacity.

[0012] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, active auscultation may be performed by providing a signal stimulus to the transmitter by a processor in communication with the transmitter, causing the transmitter to generate multiple frequencies of acoustic energy directed toward the user's organ. An acoustic energy response corresponding to the multiple frequencies of acoustic energy directed toward the organ may then be received and analyzed to determine the resonant frequency of the organ. In some embodiments, the multiple frequencies directed toward the organ may include a set of discrete frequencies, a predetermined frequency response, and / or frequency bins. Additionally or alternatively, the signal stimulus may cause the transmitter to generate acoustic energy that cycles through the set of discrete frequencies over a predetermined period of time. Additionally or alternatively, the signal stimulus may cause the transmitter to generate acoustic energy that includes a series of pseudo-randomly generated and / or pseudo-randomly selected frequencies. Additionally or alternatively, the signal stimulus may cause the transmitter to generate acoustic energy to generate bursts of acoustic energy that include multiple frequencies.

[0013] In some embodiments, the volume of air trapped in the organ may be determined based on the resonant frequency of the target.

[0014] In some embodiments disclosed herein, information related to the user may be received and correlated to the resonant frequency of the target and / or organ, optionally the received information relating to one or more of the following: a physiological characteristic of the user, a diagnosis of the user, a size of the organ, a shape of the organ, a type of fluid in the organ, a type of gas in the organ, a location of the transmitter, a location of the receiver, a level of ambient noise, and an orientation of the user.

[0015] An example system disclosed herein may include a processor and / or server configured to provide a signal stimulus to a transmitter (e.g., a speaker) in communication with the processor, causing the transmitter to produce acoustic energy at multiple frequencies. The acoustic energy can be directed toward an organ of a user's body. An acoustic energy response corresponding to the acoustic energy at multiple frequencies directed toward the organ is received by the processor / server, which can generate a comparison between the acoustic energy response and a predetermined threshold and then determine one or more resonant frequencies for the organ based on the comparison.

[0016] Additionally or alternatively, active auscultation may be performed by the following steps: providing, by a processor in communication with the transmitter, a first signal stimulus to the transmitter such that the transmitter produces acoustic energy of a first plurality of frequencies directed toward the organ; receiving, via a receiver in communication with the processor, a first acoustic energy response corresponding to the acoustic energy of the first plurality of frequencies directed toward the organ; providing, by the processor, a second signal stimulus to the transmitter such that the transmitter produces acoustic energy of a second plurality of frequencies directed toward the organ; receiving, via the receiver, a second acoustic energy response corresponding to the acoustic energy of the second plurality of frequencies directed toward the organ; generating, by the processor, a comparison between the first acoustic energy response and the second acoustic energy response; and determining, by the processor, one or more characteristics of the organ based on the generated comparison.

[0017] In some embodiments, a wearable auscultation sensor as used herein may include a transmitter configured to project an acoustic signal into a user's body, a receiver configured to receive the acoustic signal emanating from the user's body, and a noise-canceling device configured to reduce ambient noise in the received acoustic signal. The noise-canceling device may be mechanical and / or electronic / acoustic in nature. In some cases, the noise-canceling device may include noise-canceling circuitry specifically designed to cancel unwanted ambient noise of known and / or unknown frequencies. In some embodiments, the noise-canceling device may analyze the ambient noise and add a signal to the received signal that is 180 degrees out of phase with the ambient noise to filter the ambient noise from the received signal.

[0018] The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Throughout the drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same numerals and characters are used to denote like features, elements, components, or portions of the depicted embodiments. And while the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, it is done so in connection with the exemplary embodiments. It is understood that changes and modifications can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an exemplary active auscultation system consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 2A] 1 depicts a second exemplary active auscultation system consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 2B] 1 illustrates a third exemplary active auscultation system consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 3A]1A-1C provide front and side views of a user wearing an active auscultation system consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 3B] 1A-1C provide front and side views of a user wearing a transmitter and receiver positioned on opposite sides of the user's thorax, consistent with some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 3C] 1 provides an illustration of an exemplary active auscultation system configured as an adhesive patch that can be adhered to a user's epidermis, consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 provides a block diagram of a system for acquiring and processing active auscultation data from multiple communication devices consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 5A] 1 provides an image of a scanned lung having a small volume of trapped air therein, consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 5B] 1 provides an image of a scanned lung of a person suffering from COPD containing multiple pockets or volumes of trapped air, consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 provides images of one exemplary manner of modeling or approximating a user's left and right lungs, consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 7A] 1 shows a three-dimensional plot of a spectral capture of sound waves passing through both lungs of a user and received by a receiver, consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 7B] 10 shows a graph of respiratory cycle estimation, consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 provides a series of graphs of certain exemplary sounds that may be emitted by a transmitter into a user's lungs and received via an active auscultation system, continuing over time, consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 provides graphs of exemplary pulmonary resonance signature (LRS) data consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 10]1 provides a flowchart depicting a process consistent with some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1 illustrates components of a computer system capable of storing and executing computer-readable instructions that instantiate methods of the present invention, consistent with some embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The definition of acoustic resonance is that a system (e.g., a physical object) amplifies sound waves at frequencies that match one or more of the system's natural vibrational frequencies. If an object is excited with energy at a frequency unrelated to its natural vibrational frequencies, the energy will dissipate rapidly. However, when the excitation is close to one of the object's natural vibrational frequencies, the object will resonate with this frequency and begin to vibrate strongly. The resonant frequency of an object can be found, for example, by exciting the object with a specific frequency, a set of frequencies, a broadband signal (e.g., noise consisting of many frequencies), a pseudo-randomly generated frequency or frequency range, a chirp signal, or a white noise signal.

[0022] Systems, devices, and methods for performing resonance-based active auscultation and acoustic energy measurements are described herein. The systems, devices, and methods can employ active acoustic sensors, digital signal processing, and machine learning for continuous, longitudinal, non-invasive lung health monitoring. Exemplary systems and devices include a sound or acoustic energy transducer / emitter (e.g., a speaker) and an acoustic energy transducer / receiver (e.g., a microphone). In many cases, the emitter can be configured to emit sound within a range (e.g., 20 Hz to 100 kHz) that penetrates a user's skin and penetrates a portion of the user's body (e.g., the rib cage or chest), and the receiver can be configured to receive sound within this range.

[0023] Pulmonary function assessment and the diagnosis and monitoring of COPD are often accomplished using various functional tests (e.g., spirometry, plethysmography), imaging techniques (e.g., CAT scans, X-rays), and physician observation and examination. These techniques require specialized equipment and must often be performed in a medical setting and supervised by a medical professional. Spirometry and other tests require the user to stop all activity and breathe into a device in a specific manner. This makes continuous lung function monitoring cumbersome, substantially interrupts the user's daily routine, and difficult for home care.

[0024] The systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein can be used to measure acoustic resonance within a user's body or body part (e.g., an organ such as the lungs or heart). The characteristics of the measured resonance can be affected, for example, by air, fluid, or fat within the user's body or target tissue, and / or other physiological properties that respond to acoustic stimuli.

[0025] In one embodiment, the measured resonance can be used to detect and / or determine the severity of air trapping in a user's lungs. Air can become trapped in a user's lungs as a result of a user's respiratory condition (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma). Additionally or alternatively, the measured resonance characteristics can be used to monitor changes in lung air during the respiratory cycle (i.e., inhalation and exhalation) and can be used to compare one region of the body to another (e.g., one lung to another).

[0026] In some embodiments, the present invention can be used to track lung function over time to establish a baseline of lung function and monitor changes from the baseline as a way of monitoring lung health. This can help determine whether a user is susceptible to infection or an adverse event (e.g., an asthma attack) so that preventative measures can be taken and / or treatment can be administered.

[0027] The transmitter and receiver may be housed in the same housing or in separate housings. The housing may assist the transmitter in projecting acoustic energy to a target location within the user's body and / or the receiver in receiving sound emanating from the user's body. For example, the shape or features of the housing may be adapted to direct acoustic energy toward a target and / or to assist in detecting sound emanating from the user's body.

[0028] The housing can be configured to be positioned adjacent to the user's skin. This positioning can reduce noise (e.g., ambient noise, crosstalk, etc.) introduced into the signal received by the receiver by, for example, preventing noise from entering the receiver through a gap or space between the housing and the user's skin. Additionally or alternatively, the exemplary housing may include one or more mechanical and / or electronic noise reduction mechanisms to prevent ambient sounds from being detected by the receiver.

[0029] In some embodiments, the housing may include multiple transmitters and / or multiple receivers. Additionally or alternatively, the system may include multiple transmitters and / or multiple receivers, each housed in its own housing configured for installation at various user locations, for example.

[0030] The systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein have the potential to standardize parts of auscultation routines by eliminating the need for a user to generate sounds, for example by coughing, sneezing, or breathing, to generate sounds in the lungs that are received.

[0031] Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary active auscultation system 100 including an exemplary housing 105 for a transmitter 110, a receiver 115, a processor / memory 160 communicatively coupled to the transmitter 110 and the receiver 115, and an optional mechanical noise reduction mechanism 150. Optionally, the active auscultation system 100 may further include a transceiver that enables the system 100 to communicate with an external electronic device (e.g., a computer or smartphone) (not shown), e.g., via a wireless communication protocol. The transmitter 110 may be any device capable of emitting and / or generating sound, vibration, waves, and / or pulses. Exemplary transmitters 110 include, but are not limited to, a speaker, a shaker, a piezoelectric transducer, an electromechanical transducer, or any other device capable of converting an electrical signal into an audio waveform, e.g., by exciting the surrounding air and / or surrounding medium (e.g., skin, water, and / or subcutaneous fat).

[0032] The transmitter 110 and / or receiver 115 may be disposed within the housing 105 such that they are positioned proximate to the surface of the user's skin 130, as shown in Figure 1. Optionally, the transmitter 110 and / or housing 105 may be positioned on the user's body such that sound is delivered to the skin layer 130 and directed to a target within the body 135, such as, but not limited to, an organ such as the lungs or heart. In many cases, the housing 110 will be positioned over the user's rib cage to facilitate transmission of acoustic energy to the thoracic cavity.

[0033] In some embodiments, the housing 105 may be configured to allow movement across the user, for example, via sliding along a strap or manually moved by an operator (e.g., a physician), to analyze acoustic energy reflected and / or emitted by the user. The mechanical noise-reducing mechanism 150 may be any material configured to mechanically prevent ambient noise from reaching the receiver 115, including foam, fabric, or other sound-absorbing materials. In some embodiments, the mechanical noise-reducing mechanism 150 may surround the periphery of the housing 105 and be positioned to conform to the user's skin 130. Although not shown in FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the mechanical noise-reducing mechanism 150 may extend over or cover a portion or all of the housing 105. Additionally or alternatively, the mechanical noise-reducing mechanism 150 may extend underneath the housing 105 (not shown) to form a noise-reducing interface between the housing 105 and the user's skin 130. Additionally or alternatively, the mechanical noise reduction mechanism 150 may be resident within the housing 105 (not shown), for example, as a noise reducing foam or fabric that occupies space within the housing not otherwise occupied by components of the active auscultation system 100. Additionally or alternatively, the mechanical noise reduction mechanism may be a lining 155 disposed on the interior and / or exterior of the housing 105.

[0034] The processor / memory 160 may be configured to execute one or more instructions stored in the memory. For example, the processor / memory 160 may be configured to provide a signal stimulus to the transmitter 110 that causes the transmitter to produce one or more frequencies of acoustic energy (also referred to herein as a source signal). This source signal is represented in FIG. 1 as a first dotted line 120 traveling through the skin layer 130 into a target region of the body 135. In some cases, the transmitter 110 may be provided with a broadband signal stimulus or other signal that utilizes multiple frequencies such that the source signal is multi-frequency. The source signal may provide these multiple frequencies simultaneously (i.e., the source signal includes multiple frequencies at once) and / or may include a series of frequencies, each projected by the transmitter at a different time. The processor / memory may also be configured to store and / or cache received signals for later transmission to a communication device, such as communication device 310, as discussed below with respect to FIGS. 3A-3C.

[0035] In some embodiments, the processor / memory 160 may be configured to adjust the signal stimulation based on one or more factors, including, but not limited to, physiological factors of the user (e.g., gender, body mass index, age, etc.), the user's diagnosis, the size and / or shape of the target, the type of fluid or gas that may be present in the body or target 135, the location of the sensor, the level of ambient noise, the user's orientation (e.g., vertical or horizontal), etc.

[0036] In some cases, the stimulus may match or otherwise resemble one or more naturally occurring frequencies caused by, for example, rhythmic movement of the target (e.g., an organ of interest) (e.g., breathing or heartbeat) and / or frequencies occurring in the surrounding environment (e.g., fan noise, equipment noise). In these embodiments, the stimulus may be adjusted so that the target's response to the stimulus is more easily distinguishable from these frequencies.

[0037] In some embodiments, the transmitter(s) 110 may be adapted to simultaneously generate mutually orthogonal signals (e.g., pseudorandom noise with different tones). On receive, these mutually orthogonal signals can be used to de-correlate the strength of return signals of different frequencies. Additionally or alternatively, the source signal may be emitted using time division across multiple transmitters 110 positioned at multiple locations on the user.

[0038] A receiver then receives an acoustic energy signal emanating from the user's body, e.g., via reflection or resonance. The received acoustic energy signal is represented in FIG. 1 as a second dotted line 125. This received acoustic energy 125 (also referred to herein as a return signal) is received by processor / memory 160, which determines, for example, characteristics of the sound's frequency and / or intensity over time. Exemplary characteristics include intensity levels by frequency, changes in the overall intensity of a frequency or range of frequencies over time, and / or changes in the intensity distribution for a range of frequencies over time.

[0039] In some cases, the source signal may include multiple frequencies, and such a source signal may be referred to herein as a broadband signal and / or a white noise signal. In some cases, the frequencies included in the multiple frequencies and / or white noise may be selected pseudo-randomly. For example, the signal stimulus may cause the generator 110 to deliver a broadband or white noise source signal configured to provide a return signal having an averagely flat and / or known frequency response in some or all frequency bins. A frequency bin is a subset of a frequency range within the frequency range of the source signal. For example, if the source signal provides frequencies in the range of 1 to 100 kHz, the frequency bins may be ranges set in given increments within that frequency range (e.g., 5 kHz, 10 kHz, 15 kHz, 20 kHz, etc.).

[0040] In some embodiments, the use of white noise and / or different types of white noise (e.g., white noise with different frequency range characteristics) in and / or as the source signal may aid in estimating the characteristics (e.g., intensity, travel time, scattering, etc.) of the return signal. Additionally, in embodiments in which two emitters are used (typically placed in different locations, such as the left and right sides of the user's chest, so that sound is projected into each of the user's lungs), each emitter may use a white noise signal having a different set of frequencies (selected randomly or pseudo-randomly) such that one white noise signal can be distinguished from another white noise signal upon detection and / or reception by one or more receivers, such as receiver 115. Analysis of the detected signals may sometimes yield information about crosstalk, i.e., leakage of source signals from one location to another.

[0041] Additionally or alternatively, the source signal may be configured to cycle through a set of frequencies, for example, by increasing and / or decreasing the frequency of the source signal in a periodic (e.g., sinusoidal) manner over time, and / or the source signal may be a set of frequencies that rise or fall in a periodic, random, pseudo-random, or patterned manner, for example. This type of source signal is sometimes referred to as a chirp signal. The frequency response of the user and / or target 135 to this chirp signal could be estimated by measuring the response signal over time and integrating this signal.

[0042] Additionally or alternatively, the source signals may be generated using pseudo-randomly generated frequencies or frequency ranges. This may be a targeted or narrow frequency range or a broadband frequency range. Chirp source signals may enable precise measurements of the resonant response of the user's chest and / or lungs. In some cases, multiple chirp source signals may be used to make multiple measurements of the user, for example, to determine average minimum and / or maximum amplitude and / or intensity values ​​for the user's response to the chirp source signals.

[0043] Additionally or alternatively, the source signal may be a short, intense / focused burst of acoustic energy, and the return signal may then be analyzed to determine its frequency response to the burst-like source signal. The advantage of using a pulse is that it can be measured quickly.

[0044] Generally, acoustic pulses (i.e., short duration source signals) may be useful not only for measuring the frequency response of a user and / or target, but also for determining the time to target (echo) for purposes of positioning or locating the active auscultation system 100 and / or its components. Additionally or alternatively, acoustic pulses may aid in identifying and characterizing crosstalk or leakage between multiple speaker / microphone sensors positioned on the user.

[0045] 2A depicts a second exemplary active auscultation system 200 including an active or electroacoustic noise reduction system in communication with a user's skin 130. The second exemplary active auscultation system 200 includes a housing 205 containing a transmitter 110, a receiver 115, a processor / memory 160, an optional mechanical noise reduction mechanism 150, an optional liner 155, and an active / electroacoustic noise reduction system 210. The active / electroacoustic noise reduction system 210 may be, for example, a receiver facing away from the user and / or transmitter 110, configured to capture ambient noise and / or environmental sounds. The sound-receiving active / electroacoustic noise reduction system 210 could be used, for example, to filter the received acoustic signal 125 to remove sounds that are not emanating from the user and / or target 135, i.e., sounds that are considered to be noise. Mechanical noise reduction mechanism 150 may be mounted to housing 205 in a manner similar to how it is mounted to housing 105 .

[0046] 2B depicts a third example active auscultation system 201 in communication with a user's skin, including multiple receivers and an optional active or electroacoustic noise reduction system. The third example active auscultation system 201 includes a housing 205 containing a transmitter 110, a processor / memory 160, an optional mechanical noise reduction mechanism 150, an optional liner 155, an optional active / electroacoustic noise reduction system 210, and multiple receivers 115A, 115B, and 115C. The multiple receivers 115A, 115B, and 115C can be arranged in an array and configured to receive acoustic energy signals 125A, 125B, and / or 125C, respectively. Digital processing of the received acoustic energy signals 125A, 125B, and / or 125C, for example by the processor / memory 160 and / or by a processor / computer that is not resident within the housing, such as the communications device 310 and / or server 420 discussed below with respect to Figures 3A-3C and 4, can serve to focus the received sound, for example by beamforming and / or by rejecting portions of the signals that are received from undesired directions (e.g., directions that are not the target location within the user's body) and / or by focusing portions of the received acoustic energy signals 125A, 125B, and / or 125C that come from points of interest.

[0047] 3A provides front and side views of a user wearing active auscultation system 100, 200, or 201. Active auscultation system 100, 200, or 201 is attached to a user via a wearable device (e.g., a strap or band) 205 that wraps around the user's torso and typically maintains the position of active auscultation system 100, 200, or 201 against the user's skin. Wearable device 205 can be configured to maintain the position of active auscultation system 100, 200, or 201 over time when worn by the user. FIG. 3A also shows an external communication device 310 in communication with active auscultation system 100, 200, or 201 via the BLUETOOTH® wireless communication protocol. The communication device 310 may be adapted to receive and / or transmit signals to the active auscultation system 100, 200, or 201 and process these signals according to one or more methods disclosed herein.

[0048] 3B provides front and side views of a user wearing a transmitter 110 and a receiver 115 positioned on opposite sides of the user's thorax. The receiver 115 and / or the transmitter 110 may be in communication with a communication device 310, and in some cases, their respective activities may be controlled and monitored by the communication device 310.

[0049] FIG. 3C provides an illustration of exemplary active auscultation systems 100, 200, and / or 201 configured as an adhesive patch that can be attached to a user's skin. FIG. 3C also provides a side view of a user showing where active auscultation systems 100, 200, and / or 201 embodied as adhesive patches can be attached to the user's thorax. FIG. 3C further illustrates a front view of a user with two active auscultation systems 100, 200, and / or 201 positioned on the left and right sides of the user's thorax. Active auscultation systems 100, 200, and / or 201 may be in wired and / or wireless communication with communication device 310, and in some cases, their respective activities may be controlled and monitored by communication device 310.

[0050] The housings, transmitters, receivers, and / or systems disclosed herein may be configured for single use (e.g., may be disposable) or may be configured for multiple use.

[0051] 4 provides a block diagram of a system 400 for acquiring and processing active auscultation data from a plurality of communication devices 310, each in communication with one or more active auscultation systems 100, 200, and / or 201. System 400 may include a plurality (e.g., 100, 1000, 1,000,000, etc.) of communication devices, depicted in FIG. 4 as communication devices 310A, 310B, 310C, 310N. Communication devices 310A, 310B, 310C, 310N are communicatively coupled to a server 420 via a communication network (e.g., the Internet) and / or a remote server 410A. Server 420 is communicatively coupled to a first database 415 and a second database 430. Optionally, system 400 may include private access terminal 455 and / or public access terminal 445, one or both of which may be communicatively coupled to database 415 and / or a server for database 430 via a communications network (e.g., the Internet) and / or remote server 410B. In some embodiments, communications network / remote server 410A and communications network / remote server 410B may be the same and / or may be communicatively coupled to each other. Components of system 400 may be communicatively coupled to each other via wired and / or wireless communications links.

[0052] Communication devices 310A-310N can receive raw data and / or processed data (e.g., data with noise removed, data with one or more features extracted, etc.) from one or more active auscultation systems, such as active auscultation systems 100, 200, and / or 201, that are being / have been worn by one of multiple individual users. The data may be received in real time and / or cached on the respective active auscultation system until the respective active auscultation system comes within communication range of communication device 310. In some embodiments, each of communication devices 310A-310N can also add personal identification information and / or anonymized identifiers (e.g., a string of numbers or letters used to anonymously identify a user) to the data it communicates to server 420 so that the received data can be associated with the user and / or the user's anonymous identity.

[0053] In some embodiments, one or more communication devices 310 may be configured to store data on the communication device 310 over short and / or long term periods, for example, to provide feedback and / or measurements to a user of the respective communication device 310. Additionally or alternatively, one or more communication devices 310 may analyze and / or process the raw data before communicating it to the server 420, for example, by applying filters, noise reduction techniques, amplification techniques, etc. to the raw data.

[0054] Additionally or alternatively, one or more communication devices 310 may flag or otherwise associate indicators with data that is of particular interest to, for example, the user, the user's healthcare provider, and / or researchers. Data of particular interest may include received data that correlates in time with adverse events (e.g., coughing attacks, onset of infection, hospitalization, etc.) and / or events of interest (e.g., when the user is resting, when the user is exercising, etc.).

[0055] Additionally or alternatively, user-input data and / or other auxiliary data may be provided to the server 420 by one or more communication devices 310A-310N. User-input data and / or auxiliary data may include, but is not limited to, the user's heart rate, the user's body temperature, demographic information about the user (e.g., race, gender, age, etc.), the activity the user was engaged in at the time of data collection (e.g., light exercise, vigorous exercise, rest), medical diagnosis information, and medical history information. This data may be entered by the user and / or the user's caregiver via a user interface, such as a keyboard and / or speech-to-text recognition. The auxiliary data may optionally be tagged or time-stamped for correlation with the received acoustic signal.

[0056] The server 420 receives data (e.g., raw, processed, and / or auxiliary) from the plurality of communication devices 310 and prepares user data 435 for storage in the database 415. The user data 435 may include, but is not limited to, the received raw and / or processed acoustic signals and auxiliary data about the user, and / or correlations between the auxiliary data and the received raw and / or processed acoustic signals, which may be entered into lookup tables indexed by the server 420 and / or stored in the database 420.

[0057] In some embodiments, user data 435 may be anonymized and / or aggregated 425 and stored in database 430. The process of creating user data 435 may comply with any data privacy requirements implemented by regulatory authorities, users, and / or healthcare facilities or administrators.

[0058] User data 435 and / or anonymized / aggregated data 425 may be used to develop models 440 that correlate data derived using active auscultation systems 100, 200, and / or 201 (e.g., lung resonance data and / or received acoustic signals) with ancillary and other data, such as medical test data, imaging data (e.g., CT scan data, MRI scan data), medical history, geographic data, pollution levels corresponding to geographic locations, weather, temperature, humidity, activity measured by sensors (e.g., accelerometers), and / or ad-lib data entered by a user via text, email, or voice command. In some cases, models may be developed for a single user, for example, to monitor the user's health and / or to predict changes in the user's health and / or adverse events to the user. Additionally or alternatively, models may be developed for a group of users who share a common characteristic (e.g., disease progression, age, oxygen consumption rate, geographic location, altitude, disease stage, occupation, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, models may be developed for all users aggregated together.

[0059] Exemplary uses for model 440 include, but are not limited to, classifying events, detecting anomalies, detecting unexpected events, predicting events, determining appropriate interventions, and the like.

[0060] Those with authorization to access user data 435 and / or model 440 (e.g., physicians, caregivers, etc.) may achieve access via private access terminal 455 and communications (e.g., requests and responses to requests) between private access terminal 455 and server 420 via communications network / remote server 410B. In some embodiments, authorization to use the private access terminal may be limited to those authorized by the user and / or healthcare provider associated with the particular user's data stored in database 415.

[0061] Users of public access terminal 445 do not have permission to view personally identifiable information associated with one or more users and therefore only have access to anonymous and / or aggregated user data 425 and / or models 440 stored in database 430 via communication between public access terminal 445 and server 420, which communication can be facilitated by public access terminal 445 and server 420, via public access terminal 455 and server 420, and via communication network / remote server 410B.

[0062] System 400 may be used to aggregate data from multiple users and / or multiple communication devices 310, which may be used to identify commonalities and / or trends in the data that may be used to diagnose and / or monitor a user's lung condition and / or health using, for example, machine learning or other processes. Additionally or alternatively, aggregated data from multiple users may be used to learn trends in trapped air volume or other respiratory problems that may be used to predict adverse events or other complications for the user. Additionally or alternatively, aggregated data from multiple users may be used to generate and / or use large transactional models that may be used, for example, in connection with monitoring users diagnosed with COPD for other respiratory disorders.

[0063] Figure 5A provides an image 501 of a scanned relatively healthy lung with small volumes of trapped air shown as dark spots in image 501. Figure 5B provides an image 502 of a scanned COPD-affected lung with multiple pockets or volumes of trapped air shown as multiple dark spots in image 502.

[0064] 6 provides an image 600 of an exemplary manner of modeling or approximating a user's left lung 605A and right lung 605B using one or two open-ended tubes 610 representing the bronchi and circles 615 representing spherical or nearly spherical volumes of trapped air. The model shown in FIG. 6 may be based on images, such as image 501 and / or image 502, that show pockets of trapped air and / or received acoustic signals.

[0065] Exemplary data that can be used to construct a model of a user's lungs, along with approximations of the bronchi and trapped air pockets, is provided below in Tables 1 and 2. In some cases, this data may be used to establish one or more relative measurements of trapped air volume and / or to establish a set of measurements / determinations that are specific to a particular user, depending, for example, on the user's lung characteristics (e.g., airway size, lung size, and trapped air volume), which may in some cases serve as a baseline against which subsequent measurements are compared. In some cases, these measurements and / or determinations may be considered a score, i.e., a lung health score.

[0066] Lung airways vary in length and diameter from large to small, generally decreasing in size at each branch, as shown in Table 2. Airways resemble tubes closed at one or both ends. Although airways are connected, changes in diameter change the impedance to sound / acoustic energy, causing many frequencies to behave as if the tube were closed at its ends. Expected frequencies may be determined for tubes with one or two closed ends to obtain a range estimate of diameter. The resonant frequency for each airway can be calculated using Equation 1.

number

[0067] In one embodiment, the resonant frequencies of the right main bronchus (fr) and the left main bronchus (fl) for the left and right lungs in the closed both ends and closed one end conditions can be determined by inputting the following values ​​into Equation 1: v=353.6m / s Right lung L=0.025m Left lung L=0.05m Right lung d=0.014m Left lung d=0.010m [Table 1] Table 1: Estimated resonant frequencies for the left and right bronchial airways A similar process can be followed to calculate all other airways as shown in Table 2. [Table 2] Table 2: Estimated resonance for the airway

[0068] The values ​​in Table 2 model the interaction of sound with the lungs (or lung airways) and can therefore approximate the range of expected resonant sound frequencies for, for example, a pipe-shaped lung airway. A closed pipe (like a constricting airway) models a larger pipe fitted inside a smaller pipe, and from the air's perspective, the constriction behaves as if it were a wall. The model in Table 2 can assist in the selection of an appropriate range of frequencies to be infused into the lungs and / or the constriction analysis of detected sounds by selectively looking at frequencies that are most likely to correspond to a particular user's lung anatomy / airway size.

[0069] Trapped air may be understood to be the air remaining in the lungs after exhalation, and determining how much air is trapped in a user's lungs may be useful for COPD prognosis. The size and distribution of the trapped air volume may range, for example, from 1 to 5 mm in diameter, and the volume may be modeled and / or approximated as a sphere with a small circular opening (a vented sphere). Sometimes, the contents of these volumes / spheres of trapped air are oxygen-depleted air with a higher amount of carbon dioxide than atmospheric air. Carbon dioxide has a speed of sound of 259 m / s (slower than air). In one embodiment, a speed of sound between that in air and that in carbon dioxide (e.g., 300 m / s) may be used.

[0070] The resonant frequency of the vented sphere is given by Equation 3.

number

[0071] The values ​​in Table 3 may be used to develop a model of the interaction of sound with trapped air by approximating the trapped air volume as a spherical bubble, allowing a baseline of expected resonant frequencies to be determined for the model air volume of trapped air.

[0072] The simplified lung model in Tables 1-3 suggests acoustic resonances in the frequency range of 1.6 KHz to 30 KHz, which can provide an indication of the frequency range most likely to produce resonance in the lungs, i.e., the frequency range corresponding to the frequencies of interest that should be projected into the lungs or otherwise tracked to determine the user's lung resonance. For each individual lung or set of lungs, the specific resonance measured will be different based on their actual lung characteristics, including, but not limited to, airway size and trapped air volume. Each person's measured resonance can also be referred to as a lung resonance signature (LRS). Each user's LRS changes over time, and tracking these changes could help monitor or otherwise diagnose the progression of lung health and / or disease. In some embodiments, instantaneous or rapid changes in LRS help establish the breathing cycle.

[0073] The values ​​in Tables 2 and / or 3 can be used to model the range of expected resonant frequencies in healthy human lungs and / or the lungs of people with COPD. The values ​​can be used to determine a set of frequencies that resonate for a particular user's lungs. Because lung anatomy (e.g., bronchial shape, length, diameter, etc.) is highly individual-specific, each individual user's lung resonant frequency is expected to be unique. Once a baseline of a user's resonant frequency is established, it can be used to track changes relative to the baseline over time. These changes may indicate changes in lung condition, progression of disease, and / or exacerbations that may indicate an impending serious event (potentially requiring hospitalization).

[0074] In some embodiments, the resonant frequencies for multiple users are determined and aggregated together to find patterns of lung and / or trapped air resonance across multiple users, which may be used for monitoring and / or prognostic purposes, for example, to diagnose COPD and / or determine the severity of a user's COPD condition.

[0075] Figure 7A shows a three-dimensional graph 701 of a spectral capture of sound passing through a user's lungs and received by a receiver via an active auscultation system, such as active auscultation systems 100, 200, and / or 201, with amplitude on the Z-axis, time on the X-axis, and frequency on the Y-axis. The spectral capture shows the peak amplitudes of the resonance regions for different time periods as dots. Figure 7B also shows a respiratory cycle estimate graph 702, plotting the maximum amplitude from graph 701 as a function of time in seconds.

[0076] FIG. 8 provides a series of graphs 800 of an example sound continuously emitted over time by a transmitter, such as transmitter 110, projected into a user's lungs, and received by a receiver, such as receiver 115, via an active auscultation system, such as active auscultation systems 100, 200, and / or 201. The raw received sound is shown in a first graph 810 as a waveform of varying intensity / power measured in decibels (dB), with time in seconds on the x-axis and intensity or power in dB on the y-axis. As can be seen in graph 810, the intensity of the received sound decreases as the user inhales and increases as the user exhales. A second graph 815 in FIG. 8 shows the frequency spectrum change in Hz over time and corresponding to the values ​​in first graph 810 over time. FIG. 8 also shows a third graph 820 providing the corresponding estimated breathing cycle or total air volume change for the user, corresponding to the values ​​in first graph 810 and second graph 815 over time.

[0077] 9 provides a graph 900 of exemplary pulmonary resonance signature (LRS) data showing frequency in Hz as a function of intensity or power in dB for a user. Graph 900 provides a first line 910 showing the range of frequency and intensity for lungs with trapped air, and a second line 915 showing the range of frequency and intensity for lungs without trapped air.

[0078] Sound detected by one or more detectors in communication with a user can be used in a number of ways to deduce the physiological state of a patient or user. For example, the detected sound may be analyzed to determine the spectral shape of the sound, which is understood to be the relative or absolute relationship between a range of detected frequencies. In addition to the spectral shape, the received sound may also be analyzed to determine the slope of the spectrum to determine whether the energy and / or intensity of the detected frequencies increases and / or decreases with frequency and / or whether any peaks or valleys in the intensity / energy of the detected sound occur for particular frequencies or particular frequency ranges. In some cases, the spectral shape of the detected sound may also include information about how many peaks or valleys in the intensity / power of the detected sound occur across the frequency range, as well as any other characteristics such as the slope of the shape, areas of maximum energy, areas of minimum energy, etc.

[0079] The spectral shape of the detected sound may be measured and / or determined instantaneously, periodically, and / or as needed, and in some cases multiple spectral shape measurements / determinations may be made over time to monitor the user's response to the input sound and determine, for example, changes and / or rate of change, which may be useful in tracking rapid or gradual improvement or decline in the user's condition.

[0080] In some cases, the detected sound may be further analyzed to determine the spectral center (also called the "center of mass") for the frequency spectrum of the detected / received sound / acoustic energy. Optionally, the spectral center may be calculated as a weighted average of the frequencies present in the detected / received sound. Optionally, this calculation may be performed using a Fourier transform, with the magnitudes of specific frequencies shown as weights in Equation 4.

number

[0081] Additionally or alternatively, the harmonics and / or harmonic changes of the detected sound may be analyzed to determine a spectral signature of the detected sound. This analysis may reveal high and / or low power / intensity portions of the detected signal (i.e., peaks and / or valleys in the intensity or power of the detected sound) and / or relationships between different frequencies within the detected sound. Sometimes, these relationships between different frequencies may exhibit simple and regular patterns (e.g., harmonics). Additionally or alternatively, the spacing, changes in spacing, relative amplitude, etc. between bulges of detected sound / acoustic energy may also be analyzed and monitored over time to determine changes or patterns of diagnostic interest.

[0082] For COPD-specific embodiments, the present invention can be used to monitor a user's lung function and health by measuring or otherwise assessing the volume of air remaining in the user's lungs after a full exhalation (i.e., trapped air volume), which can be an indicator of COPD prognosis and lung health for users diagnosed with COPD. In one example, the acoustic resonance of one or both of the user's lungs can be measured and / or determined and / or modeled based on one or more parameters described herein.

[0083] In some embodiments, transmitter and receiver pairs may be configured for use with the user's right and left lungs (i.e., one transmitter and one receiver per lung). This embodiment may employ stereo sound card playback and capture. The signals received by the receivers may be analyzed to detect and / or characterize cross-channel leakage (e.g., sound projected onto the left lung being received by the receiver for the right lung), for example, by measuring the amount and frequency signature of stimulation from one channel to the other. It is contemplated that "orthogonal" stimulation may be used for both channels (i.e., sound is projected onto both lungs). This could minimize cross-interference between channels (e.g., measuring each channel at different times using a variable pseudorandom sequence or time division).

[0084] Optionally, when emitter-receiver pairs are used, a stimulus may be provided to the first emitter for the left lung, and the receiver for the second lung may be used to determine how much cross-channel leakage is detected. This process may also be reversed to determine whether there is cross-channel leakage in the receiver for the first lung from sound projected into the second lung. If cross-channel leakage is detected, a quadrature noise-like signal may be created and used as a stimulus for one or both emitters. Cross-channel leakage may then be measured by providing a signal to both lungs and simultaneously measuring the detected sound with both detectors. Knowledge of the pseudorandom sequence used to generate the sound may be used to estimate the contribution from each channel received at the detectors. This can be used to remove the estimated leakage contribution from the detected signal.

[0085] 10 provides a flowchart illustrating a process 1000 for determining correlations between characteristics of acoustic signals received by an active auscultation system, such as active auscultation systems 100, 200, and / or 201, and auxiliary information about a user from whom the acoustic signals are received. Process 1000 can be performed by any of the systems and / or system components disclosed herein.

[0086] Initially, in step 1005, one or more acoustic signals emanating from a user are received by a processor, such as processor / memory 160, and / or a server, such as server 420, from a receiver, such as receiver 115, and / or an active auscultation system, such as active auscultation systems 100, 200, and / or 201. Next, in step 1010, auxiliary information is received. Auxiliary information, such as the auxiliary information described above, can be received in step 1010. Exemplary auxiliary information includes, but is not limited to, information received from a user via interaction with a communication device, such as communication device 310 (e.g., medical information, occurrence of a medical complication or emergency, mental health information, etc.), and / or the auxiliary information may be received directly from the communication device. Auxiliary information received directly from a communication device can include geographic information, elevation, local weather information, local air quality information, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary information may include information supplemented by a software application running on the communication device. An exemplary software application may, for example, collect information about a user's level of activity, as well as the user's heart rate and the user's blood oxygen saturation.

[0087] At step 1015, one or more characteristics of the acoustic signal are determined and / or received. The determined characteristics may include any of the characteristics described herein. At step 1020, one or more correlations between the characteristics of the acoustic signal and the characteristic(s) are determined. Then, at step 1025, a data structure, such as database 415 and / or 430, is constructed and / or updated using the received acoustic signal, the auxiliary information, and the correlations therebetween. In some embodiments, the data structure of step 1025 may be created via a process similar to the process for developing model 440.

[0088] As is evident from the above discussion, aspects of the present invention involve the use of various computer systems and computer-readable storage media having computer-readable instructions stored thereon. Figure 11 provides an example of a system 1100 that is representative of any computing system that may be used to instantiate a respiratory disease model and / or perform the processes or portions of processes described herein. Examples of system 1100 include smartphones, desktop computers, laptop computers, mainframe computers, embedded systems, etc. It should be noted that not all of the various computer systems possess all of the features of system 1100. For example, some of the computer systems discussed above may not include a display, either because the display functionality is provided by a client computer communicatively coupled to the computer system or because a display functionality is not required. Such details are not critical to the present invention. System 1100 or portions thereof may be systems, and / or components thereof, such as, for example, active auscultation systems, such as active auscultation systems 110, 200 and / or 201, communication devices, such as communication device 311, servers, such as server 420, and / or computer terminals, such as private access terminal 455 and public access terminal 445.

[0089] The system 1100 includes a bus 1102 or other communication mechanism for communicating information and a processor 1104 coupled with the bus 1102 for processing information. The computer system 1100 also includes a main memory 1106, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device coupled to the bus 1102, for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor 1104. The main memory 1106 may also be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by the processor 1104. The computer system 1100 also includes a read-only memory (ROM) 1108 or other static storage device coupled to the bus 1102 for storing static information and instructions for the processor 1104. A storage device 1111, such as a hard disk, flash memory-based storage medium, or other storage medium readable by the processor 1104, is provided and coupled to the bus 1102 for storing information and instructions (e.g., an operating system, application programs, etc.).

[0090] Computer system 1100 may be coupled via bus 1102 to a display 1112, such as a flat panel display, for displaying information to a computer user. An input device 1111, such as a keyboard including alphanumeric and other keys, may be coupled to bus 1102 for communicating information and command selections to processor 1104. Another type of input device is cursor control device 1116, such as a mouse, trackpad, and similar input devices for communicating directional information and command selections to processor 1104 and for controlling cursor movement on display 1112. Other user interface devices, not shown in detail, such as a microphone, speaker, etc., may be involved in receiving user input and presenting output.

[0091] The processes referred to herein may be implemented by the processor 1104 executing appropriate sequences of computer-readable instructions stored in the main memory 1106. Such instructions may be read into the main memory 1106 from another computer-readable medium, such as the storage device 1111, such that execution of the sequences of instructions stored in the main memory 1106 causes the processor 1104 to perform the relevant actions. In alternative embodiments, hardwired circuitry or a firmware-controlled processing unit may be used in place of the processor 1104 or in combination with the processor 1104 and its associated computer software instructions to implement the invention. The computer-readable instructions may be rendered in any computer language.

[0092] In general, all of the foregoing process descriptions are intended to cover any series of logical steps performed in a certain sequence to achieve a given purpose, whether characteristic of a computer-executable application. Unless otherwise specified, throughout the description of this invention, the use of terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "deriving," "displaying," "receiving," "transmitting," and the like, should be understood to refer to the actions and processes of a suitably programmed computer system, such as computer system 1100 or a similar computing device, that manipulates data represented as physical (electronic) quantities in its registers or memory, and transforms such data into other data similarly represented as physical quantities in its memory or registers, or other such information storage, transmission, or display device.

[0093] Computer system 1100 further includes a communications interface 1118 coupled to bus 1102. Communications interface 1118 can provide a two-way data communications channel with a computer network providing connectivity to and between the various computer systems described above. For example, communications interface 1118 can be a LAN card providing a data communications connection to a compatible local area network (LAN), which is itself communicatively coupled to the Internet through one or more Internet service provider networks. The precise details of such communications paths are not critical to the present invention. What is important is that computer system 1100 can send and receive messages and data through communications interface 1118 and, in this manner, communicate with hosts accessible via the Internet. It should be noted that the components of system 1100 may be located on a single device or on multiple physically and / or geographically dispersed devices.

[0094] The embodiments of the present invention are, for example, as follows. [Embodiment 1] directing a wideband acoustic signal into a user's body toward the user's lungs, the wideband acoustic signal being a pulse comprising a plurality of frequencies; receiving an acoustic signal from the user's body corresponding to the wideband acoustic signal; determining a characteristic of the received acoustic signal, the characteristic being at least one of a strength and a frequency of the received acoustic signal; determining a volume of air trapped within a plurality of pockets of the user's lungs in response to the determined characteristics; 1. A method of performing active auscultation, comprising: [Embodiment 2] The wideband acoustic signal is a first wideband acoustic signal, the received acoustic signal is a received first acoustic signal, and the method includes: directing a second wideband acoustic signal into a user's body toward the user's lungs, the second wideband acoustic signal being a pulse comprising a plurality of frequencies; receiving a second acoustic signal from the user's body corresponding to the second wideband acoustic signal projected into the user's body; determining a characteristic of the received second acoustic signal, the characteristic of the received second acoustic signal being at least one of a strength and a frequency of the received second acoustic signal; comparing characteristics of the received first acoustic signal and the received second acoustic signal; providing a result of said comparison to an operator; 2. The method of embodiment 1, further comprising: [Embodiment 3] comparing the characteristic of the received acoustic signal to a predetermined value; 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: [Embodiment 4] 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadband acoustic signal comprises multiple frequencies between 2,000 Hz and 30,000 Hz.

[0095] [Embodiment 5] 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pulse duration is in the range of 0.1 seconds to 2 seconds. [Embodiment 6] receiving, by a processor, a detected acoustic signal from a receiver, the detected acoustic signal corresponding to an acoustic signal having a plurality of frequencies directed as pulses within the user's body toward the user's lungs and emanating from the user; analyzing, by the processor, the detected acoustic signals to determine a resonant frequency of the user's lungs; determining, by the processor, a volume of air trapped within a plurality of pockets of the user's lungs in response to the resonant frequency; A method of providing [Embodiment 7] comparing the resonant frequency of the user's lungs to a predetermined value; The method of embodiment 6, further comprising: [Embodiment 8] providing, by a processor in communication with a transmitter, a signal stimulus to the transmitter such that the transmitter produces multiple frequencies of acoustic energy directed toward the user's lungs; receiving, by the processor via a receiver in communication with the processor, acoustic energy responses corresponding to the acoustic energy at the plurality of frequencies directed toward the lung; analyzing, by the processor, the received acoustic energy response received by the processor to determine a resonant frequency for the lung; determining, by the processor, a volume of air trapped within a plurality of pockets of the lungs based on the resonant frequency for the lungs; 1. A method for performing active auscultation, comprising:

[0096] [Embodiment 9] 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of frequencies directed toward the lungs comprises a set of discrete frequencies. [Embodiment 10] 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the signal stimulus causes the oscillator to produce acoustic energy that repeats the set of discrete frequencies over a predetermined period of time. [Embodiment 11] 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the signal stimulus causes the oscillator to produce acoustic energy comprising a series of pseudo-randomly selected frequencies. [Embodiment 12] 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the signal stimulus causes the transmitter to produce a burst of acoustic energy comprising the plurality of frequencies. [Embodiment 13] receiving, by the processor, information related to the user; correlating, by the processor, information related to the user received by the processor with the resonant frequency of the lungs; A method according to any one of embodiments 8 to 12, further comprising:

[0097] [Embodiment 14] The method of embodiment 13, wherein the information related to the user received by the processor is related to one or more of the user's physiological characteristics, the user's diagnosis, the size of the lungs, the shape of the lungs, the type of fluid in the lungs, the type of gas in the lungs, the location of the transmitter, the location of the receiver, the level of ambient noise, and the user's orientation. [Embodiment 15] A processor configured as follows: providing signal stimuli to a transmitter in communication with the processor, the transmitter producing a plurality of frequencies of acoustic energy directed toward the lungs of a user's body; receiving, via a receiver in communication with the processor, acoustic energy responses corresponding to the acoustic energy at the plurality of frequencies directed toward the lung; generating a comparison between the acoustic energy response and a predetermined threshold; and determining one or more resonant frequencies for the lung based on the comparison; determining a volume of air trapped within a plurality of pockets of the user's lungs using one or more of the determined resonant frequencies; The configured processor, A system that includes: [Embodiment 16] providing, by a processor in communication with the transmitter, a first signal stimulus to the transmitter such that the transmitter produces acoustic energy at a first plurality of frequencies directed toward the lungs; receiving, by the processor via a receiver in communication with the processor, a first acoustic energy response corresponding to the acoustic energy of the first plurality of frequencies directed toward the lung; providing, by the processor, a second signal stimulus to the transmitter such that the transmitter produces acoustic energy at a second plurality of frequencies directed toward the lungs; receiving, by the processor, via the receiver, second acoustic energy responses corresponding to the acoustic energy of the second plurality of frequencies directed toward the lung; generating, by the processor, a comparison between the first acoustic energy response and the second acoustic energy response; determining, by the processor, a volume of air trapped within a plurality of pockets of the user's lungs based on the generated comparison; 1. A method of performing active auscultation, comprising: [Embodiment 17] a transmitter configured to project an acoustic signal into the body of the user; a receiver configured to receive acoustic signals emanating from the user's body; a noise canceling device configured to reduce ambient noise in the received acoustic signal; A wearable stethoscope sensor comprising: [Embodiment 18] A wearable auscultation sensor as described in embodiment 17, wherein the noise canceling device includes a noise canceling circuit designed to cancel out unwanted ambient noise. [Embodiment 19] A wearable auscultation sensor as described in embodiment 17, wherein the noise canceling device adds a signal that is 180 degrees out of phase with the target ambient noise to filter the ambient noise from the received acoustic signal.

[0098] [Embodiment 20] 1. A method of performing active auscultation, comprising: providing, by a processor in communication with the transmitter, a set of signal stimuli to the transmitter such that the transmitter generates an acoustic energy signal within the user's body and directed toward the user's lungs; receiving, by the processor, an acoustic energy response from a receiver communicatively coupled to the processor, the acoustic energy response responsive to the acoustic energy signal directed into the body of the user; determining, by the processor, a resonant frequency of the user's lungs contained within the acoustic energy response; determining, by the processor, a pulmonary resonance signature related to characteristics of the user's lungs based on the resonant frequencies, with reference to a predetermined pulmonary model; and providing, by the processor, the lung resonance signature to an operator. [Embodiment 21] determining, by the processor, a breathing cycle for the user based on the pulmonary resonance signature; 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of providing an operator with a breathing cycle for the user by the processor. [Embodiment 22] The method of claim 20, further comprising a step of determining by the processor the intensities of the resonant frequencies contained within the acoustic energy response, wherein the lung resonance signature further includes the determined intensities of the resonant frequencies. [Embodiment 23] 21. The method of embodiment 20, comprising: the set of signal stimuli is a first set of signal stimuli, the acoustic energy signals directed towards the user's lungs are first acoustic energy signals, the acoustic energy responses are first acoustic energy responses, the resonant frequencies are first resonant frequencies, and the lung resonance signature is a first lung resonance signature; The method comprises: providing, by the processor, a second set of signal stimuli to the transmitter such that the transmitter generates a second acoustic energy signal within the user's body and directed toward the user's lungs; receiving, by the processor, a second acoustic energy response from the receiver, the second acoustic energy response responsive to the second acoustic energy signal directed into a body of a user; determining, by the processor, a second resonant frequency contained within the second acoustic energy response; determining, by the processor, a second pulmonary resonance signature for the user based on the first pulmonary resonance signature including the first resonant frequency; comparing, by the processor, the first pulmonary resonance signature and the second pulmonary resonance signature; 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of providing, by the processor, a suggestion of the comparison to an operator. [Embodiment 24] 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising a step of comparing the lung resonance signature with a predetermined lung resonance signature by the processor. [Embodiment 25] The method of embodiment 20 further comprising generating an adjusted set of signal stimuli by adjusting, by the processor, at least one of the duration of the set of signal stimuli, the intensity of the set of signal stimuli, and the frequencies included in the set of signal stimuli in response to the resonant frequencies included in the acoustic energy response. [Embodiment 26] 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the set of signal stimuli causes the transmitter to emit acoustic energy comprising multiple frequencies between 2,000 Hz and 30,000 Hz. [Embodiment 27] determining, by the processor, frequencies of harmonics contained within the acoustic energy response; determining, by the processor, a spectral signature for the user using the frequencies of the harmonics; 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising storing the spectral signature in a database by the processor. [Embodiment 28] The method of embodiment 20 further comprises determining, by the processor, a volume of trapped air present in the user's lungs in response to the resonant frequency, the air relating to the volume of trapped air being air trapped in separate pockets of lung tissue in the user's lungs after the user exhales air from the user's lungs, and determining a pulmonary resonance signature related to the characteristics of the user's lungs, the step of determining a volume of trapped air being further based on the volume of trapped air present in the user's lungs. [Embodiment 29] correlating, by the processor, a volume of trapped air present in the user's lungs with the pulmonary resonance signature; 29. The method of claim 28, further comprising storing, by the processor, a correlation between the volume of trapped air present in the user's lungs and the pulmonary resonance signature in a database. [Embodiment 30] 29. The method of embodiment 28, comprising: the set of signal stimuli is a first set of signal stimuli, the acoustic energy signals directed towards the user's lungs are first acoustic energy signals, the acoustic energy responses are first acoustic energy responses, the trapped air volume is a first trapped air volume, the resonant frequency is a first resonant frequency, and the pulmonary resonance signature is a first pulmonary resonance signature; The method comprises: providing, by the processor, a second set of signal stimuli to the transmitter such that the transmitter generates a second acoustic energy signal within the user's body and directed toward the user's lungs; receiving, by the processor, a second acoustic energy response from the receiver, the second acoustic energy response responsive to the second acoustic energy signal directed into a body of a user; determining, by the processor, a second resonant frequency contained within the second acoustic energy response; determining, by the processor, a second pulmonary resonance signature related to a characteristic of the user's lungs based on the first pulmonary resonance signature including the first resonant frequency; determining, by the processor, a second trapped air volume present in the user's lungs using the received second acoustic energy response, the second trapped air volume being air trapped in separate pockets of lung tissue in the user's lungs after the user exhales air from the user's lungs; comparing, by the processor, the first pulmonary resonance signature and the second pulmonary resonance signature; comparing, by the processor, the first trapped air volume and the second trapped air volume; The method of embodiment 28, further comprising the step of providing to the operator by the processor an indication of a comparison between the first pulmonary resonance signature and the second pulmonary resonance signature, and an indication of a comparison between the first trapped air volume and the second trapped air volume. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 100 Active Auscultation System 105 Housing 110 Transmitter 115, 115A, 115B, 115C receivers 120 Source signal traveling into target region 125, 125A, 125B, 125C Received acoustic energy signal 130 skin layer 135 Body 150 Mechanical noise reduction mechanism 155 Lining 160 processors / memory 200 Active Auscultation System 201 Active Hearing System 205 Housing 210 Active / Electroacoustic Noise Reduction Systems 310, 310A, 310B, 310C, 310N communication devices 410A, 410B Communication Network / Remote Server 415 First Database 420 Server 425 Anonymized and / or Aggregated User Data 430 Second Database 435 User Data 440 model 445 Public Access Terminal 455 Private Access Terminal 501 Images of relatively healthy lungs 502 Images of lungs affected by COPD 605A Left lung 605B Right lung 610 Tubes representing the bronchi 615 A ​​circle representing the volume of trapped air 701 Received sound spectrum capture 3D graph 702 Breathing cycle estimation graph A series of graphs of 800 received sounds 810 Raw received sound waveform graph 815 Frequency spectrum change graph 820 Estimated Breathing Cycle Graph Graph of 900 Lung Resonance Signature (LRS) data 910 First line showing frequency and intensity range for lungs with trapped air 915 Second line showing the frequency and intensity range of the lung without trapped air 1100 System 1102 Bus 1104 processor 1106 Main Memory 1108 ROM 1110 Storage Devices 1112 Display 1114 Input Devices 1116 Cursor Control Device 1118 Communication Interface

Claims

1. 1. A method of performing active auscultation, comprising: providing, by a processor in communication with the transmitter, a set of signal stimuli to the transmitter such that the transmitter generates a set of acoustic energy within the user's body and directed toward the user's lungs; receiving, by the processor, an acoustic energy response from a receiver communicatively coupled to the processor and proximate to the user's body, the acoustic energy response responsive to the set of acoustic energy directed into the user's body; determining, by the processor, a spectral shape of the acoustic energy response; determining, by the processor, a signature for the user using the spectral shape; storing, by said processor, said signature in a database.

2. providing, by a processor in communication with the transmitter, a next set of signal stimuli to the transmitter such that the transmitter generates a next set of acoustic energy within the user's body and directed toward the user's lungs; receiving, by the processor, a next acoustic energy response from a receiver communicatively coupled to the processor and proximate to the user's body, the next acoustic energy response being responsive to the next set of acoustic energy directed into the user's body; 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the processor, a spectral shape of the next acoustic energy response, wherein determining a signature for the user further uses the spectral shape of the next acoustic energy response.

3. comparing, by the processor, the spectral shape of the acoustic energy response with the spectral shape of the subsequent acoustic energy response; 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of: providing, by said processor, a representation of said comparison to an operator.

4. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the acoustic energy response includes acoustic energy responses for a plurality of frequencies, and determining the spectral shape of the acoustic energy response includes determining at least one of an absolute relationship between the acoustic energy responses for two or more of the plurality of frequencies and a relative relationship between the acoustic energy responses for two or more of the plurality of frequencies.

5. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the processor, a spectral tilt of the acoustic energy response, wherein determining a signature for the user further uses the spectral tilt.

6. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the processor, a spectral center of the acoustic energy response, wherein determining a signature for the user further uses the spectral center.

7. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the processor, resonant frequencies contained within the acoustic energy response, wherein determining a signature for the user further uses the resonant frequencies of the acoustic energy response.

8. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the processor, frequencies of harmonics of the acoustic energy response, wherein determining a signature for the user further uses the frequencies of the harmonics.

9. analyzing, by the processor, the acoustic energy response to determine a breathing cycle for the user; 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, by the processor, the respiratory cycle in a database.

10. The method of performing active auscultation, wherein the set of signal stimuli is a first set of signal stimuli, the set of acoustic energy is a first set of acoustic energy, the acoustic energy response is a first acoustic energy response, the spectral shape is a first spectral shape, and the signature is a first signature, comprises: providing, by the processor, a second set of signal stimuli to the transmitter such that the transmitter generates a second set of acoustic energy within the user's body and directed toward the user's lungs; receiving, by the processor, a second acoustic energy response from a receiver, the second acoustic energy response responsive to the second set of acoustic energy directed into the user's body; determining, by the processor, a second spectral shape of the second acoustic energy response; determining, by the processor, a second signature for the user using the second spectral shape; comparing, by the processor, the first signature and the second signature; The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising the step of: providing, by the processor, a result of the comparison to an operator.

11. 11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising using the signature by the processor to determine a volume of trapped air present in the user's lungs, the volume of trapped air being air trapped within discrete pockets of lung tissue in the user's lungs following the user's exhalation of air from the user's lungs.

12. In the system, a memory having a set of instructions stored therein; 1. A processor, comprising: providing a set of signal stimuli to a transmitter such that the transmitter generates a set of acoustic energy within the user's body and directed toward the user's lungs; receiving an acoustic energy response from a receiver communicatively coupled to the processor and proximate to the user's body, the acoustic energy response responsive to the set of acoustic energy directed into the user's body; determining a spectral shape of the acoustic energy response; determining a signature for the user using the spectral shape; storing said signature in a database; a processor configured to execute a set of instructions stored in the memory that instruct the

13. The set of instructions 13. The system of claim 12, further causing the processor to determine resonant frequencies of the acoustic energy response contained within the acoustic energy response, wherein determining a signature for the user further uses the resonant frequencies.

14. The set of instructions 14. The system of claim 12 or 13, further causing the processor to use the signature to determine a volume of trapped air present in the user's lungs, the volume of trapped air being air trapped within discrete pockets of lung tissue in the user's lungs following the user's exhalation of air from the user's lungs.

15. 15. The system of claim 12, wherein the acoustic energy response includes acoustic energy responses for a plurality of frequencies, and determining the spectral shape of the acoustic energy response includes determining at least one of an absolute relationship between the acoustic energy responses for two or more of the plurality of frequencies and a relative relationship between the acoustic energy responses for two or more of the plurality of frequencies.

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