Respiratory Sound Sensor Circuit for Ambulatory Disease Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for monitoring respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD are inadequate for ambulatory settings, as they rely on auscultation, which is not feasible for patients outside clinical environments, and lack efficient systems for detecting respiratory anomalies in real-time.

Innovation Solution

A patient management system that includes a sensor circuit to sense respiratory sounds, a spectral analyzer to generate spectral contents at different frequency bands, and a detector circuit to produce a respiratory anomaly indicator, which can trigger or adjust therapies based on the detected anomalies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If auscultation is used to evaluate respiratory sounds, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates because it is not feasible for patients in ambulatory settings

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvediagnostic accuracyVSAvoidease of operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables patients to perform self-monitoring of their respiratory sounds using a wearable device with a microphone sensor, eliminating the need for clinician auscultation. The device automatically captures, processes, and analyzes respiratory sounds, generating anomaly indicators that patients can review or share with healthcare providers remotely.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical auscultation process (clinician using a stethoscope to listen to lung sounds) with an electronic sensing system. A microphone sensor captures respiratory sounds, which are then processed through spectral analysis algorithms to generate diagnostic indicators, substituting human sensory and manual evaluation with automated electronic detection and analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If spectral analysis is performed to detect respiratory anomalies, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemeasurement precisionVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The spectral analysis process is divided into distinct frequency bands (first frequency band and second frequency band) with different center frequencies. The system separately processes signals in each band, generating spectral contents for each, and then combines these results to produce the final respiratory anomaly indicator. This segmentation simplifies the overall analysis by breaking down the complex spectral processing into manageable frequency-specific stages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If real-time monitoring of respiratory sounds is implemented, then reliability is improved, but use of energy increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovereliabilityVSAvoiduse of energy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuously processing all respiratory signals, the system performs spectral analysis periodically or at specific respiratory phases (such as during inspiration or expiration). The device can monitor respiratory patterns and trigger analysis only when anomalies are detected or at predetermined intervals, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining reliable detection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

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 system enables timely and accurate detection of respiratory anomalies, reducing healthcare costs by minimizing unnecessary treatments and hospitalizations, while improving device performance and memory usage.

Implementation Method 1

a sensor circuit including a sense amplifier coupled to at least one physiological sensor to sense one or more physiological signals indicative of respiratory sounds

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic transduction:

Implementation Method 2

a spectral analyzer to generate first and second spectral contents at respective first and second frequency bands

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSpectral analysis:

Data Source

PatentUS11864928B2Systems and methods to detect respiratory diseases using respiratory sounds

Publication Date: 2024.01.09 CARDIAC PACEMAKERS INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for monitoring patients with respiratory diseases are described. A system may include a sensor circuit configured to sense one or more physiological signals indicative of respiratory sounds, and a spectral analyzer to generate first and second spectral contents at respective first and second frequency bands. The system may produce a respiratory anomaly indicator using the first and second spectral contents, or additionally with other physiological parameters. The system may detect an onset or progression of a target respiratory condition such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using the respiratory anomaly indicator, or to trigger or adjust a therapy.