Nasal Cannula Acoustic Screening for Sleep Disordered Breathing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing respiratory disorder screening, diagnosis, and monitoring systems are expensive, inconvenient, and lack improvements in comfort, cost, efficacy, and manufacturability, particularly for sleep disordered breathing (SDB).
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a nasal cannula connected to a portable computing device via an adaptor, which processes breathing sound signals to detect SDB events and compute severity metrics, leveraging existing computing devices for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional respiratory disorder screening systems are used, then diagnostic accuracy is maintained, but cost and convenience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables patients to perform self-screening for sleep disordered breathing using their own mobile phone and a simple nasal cannula interface. The mobile phone's existing microphone and processing capabilities are utilized, eliminating the need for specialized clinical equipment or staff, thereby maintaining diagnostic accuracy while dramatically improving convenience and reducing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential diagnostic function from complex clinical polysomnography systems and isolates it to a simple nasal cannula interface connected to a mobile phone. By taking out only the necessary components (nasal airflow sensing) and leveraging the mobile phone's existing capabilities, the system achieves accurate SDB screening without the cost and complexity of conventional systems.
2Reliability
If specialized medical equipment is used, then diagnostic reliability is improved, but cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a universal mobile phone platform that most patients already possess, eliminating the need for specialized medical equipment. The mobile phone's microphone, processor, and display are leveraged for their diagnostic function, while the nasal cannula serves as a universal interface compatible with any mobile phone. This multi-functionality approach maintains diagnostic reliability while minimizing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The nasal cannula acts as an intermediary device that bridges the patient's respiratory system and the mobile phone's sensing capabilities. This simple intermediary component converts nasal airflow into audible signals that the mobile phone's microphone can process, maintaining diagnostic reliability without requiring complex integrated systems.
3Measurement precision
If traditional screening methods are used, then clinical thoroughness is maintained, but patient compliance and accessibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Patients can perform the screening themselves at home without requiring clinical staff or specialized facilities. The system guides patients through the process using the mobile phone interface, allowing them to complete thorough screening assessments independently, thereby maintaining screening thoroughness while dramatically improving patient compliance and accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions the screening process from the clinical setting dimension to the patient's home environment dimension. By moving the screening to another dimension (home-based vs. clinic-based), the system maintains thoroughness through automated guidance while improving accessibility and compliance by eliminating travel and scheduling barriers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides a cost-effective, user-friendly, and efficient method for screening, diagnosing, and monitoring SDB, improving patient compliance and reducing the need for clinical intervention.
Implementation Method 1
a microphone, which generates a signal representative of the pressure fluctuations at the diaphragm of the microphone
Data Source
AI summary
A system screens, diagnoses, or monitors sleep disordered breathing of a patient. The system may include a nasal cannula, a conduit connected to the nasal cannula at a first end, an adaptor configured to receive a second end of the conduit and/or a portable computing device. The adaptor may be configured to position the second end of the conduit in proximity with a microphone of the portable computing device. Optionally, a processor may generate an indicator to guide placement of the adaptor for use. Such positioning may, in use, permit the microphone to generate a patient breathing sound signal via the adaptor for processor(s) of the device. The processor(s) may then process the breathing sound signal. The process may include detecting SDB events from an extracted and/or de-rectified loudness signal. The process may include computing a metric of severity of a respiratory condition of the patient using detected SDB events.