Physiological Sound Examination Device for Lung Disease Diagnosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for diagnosing lung diseases, such as pneumothorax, face challenges in accurately estimating the state of lung diseases due to the difficulty in isolating and measuring lung sounds, as they are often mixed with other vibrations and sounds, leading to inaccurate transfer characteristic calculations.
Innovation Solution
A physiological sound examination device that measures lung sounds at two positions, one closer to the sound source, to calculate power ratios and indices, reducing the influence of respiratory flow velocity and body size, allowing for more accurate estimation of the sound source and transfer characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If lung sound is measured at a single position, then the measurement is simple, but the accuracy of disease state estimation is insufficient due to mixed vibrations and sounds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the lung sound measurement into multiple positions (first measurement position and second measurement position) to separate and isolate lung sound components from other vibrations and sounds. By segmenting the measurement process spatially, the system achieves more accurate disease state estimation while maintaining manageable device complexity through structured multi-point measurement.
2Measurement precision
If transfer characteristic is calculated using single position measurement, then the calculation is simple, but the influence of respiratory flow velocity and body size cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces power ratio as an intermediary parameter that mediates between the raw lung sound measurements and the final transfer characteristic calculation. By calculating the power ratio between first and second measurement positions, the system reduces the influence of respiratory flow velocity and body size, achieving more accurate transfer characteristics while organizing complexity through a clear computational framework.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple microphones are placed on the body to help diagnosis in remote areas, then diagnostic capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a multi-microphone system that serves multiple functions: it can measure lung sounds at different positions for disease diagnosis, adapt to various patient body types, and support both local and remote diagnosis scenarios. This universal design enables the system to handle diverse diagnostic needs while managing complexity through standardized multi-point measurement architecture.
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
This approach enables precise estimation of the lung state by isolating and analyzing lung sounds, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing the impact of individual variations and external noise.
Implementation Method 1
measuring a physiological sound that propagates through the living body
Data Source
AI summary
A physiological sound examination device which supports estimation of a state of a living body includes a first physiological sound measurement unit; a second physiological sound measurement unit; a power ratio calculation unit which calculates a power ratio which is a ratio of first physiological sound signal power to second physiological sound signal power; and an illness-related gain calculation unit which calculates a transfer-characteristic of the physiological sound in the living body by computing the power ratio. A power calculation unit which calculates first power which is the second physiological sound signal power in a first frequency band; and an illness-related high frequency power ratio calculation unit which calculates a sound-source-characteristic of the physiological sound by computing the first power. The computing is performed to reduce an influence of the respiratory flow velocity and/or the size of the living body.