Sonifying Physiological Signals for Enhanced Feature Discernibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional methods for measuring signals from living subjects, such as brain and heart activity, primarily focus on visual representation, which can make subtle features and changes difficult to discern, and lack applications beyond diagnostics and scientific research.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for sonifying electrical signals from living subjects by converting them into acoustic patterns, allowing for the modulation of time-varying acoustic parameters to represent and combine signals from different bodily functions, enabling their auditory inspection and potential use in entertainment, therapy, and user interfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If visual representation methods are used to display signals from living subjects, then the measurement and analysis capability is established, but subtle features and changes in the signals become difficult to discern

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal feature discernibilityVSAvoidsignal analysis difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes visual display (optical system) with auditory display (acoustic system) for signal representation. Electrical signals from living subjects are converted into acoustic signals through sonification, allowing subtle signal features to be perceived through human hearing which is more sensitive to temporal variations and subtle changes than visual inspection of graphical displays.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms the representation parameters of physiological signals from visual domain (amplitude, frequency displayed on screen) to acoustic domain (pitch, timbre, volume, temporal patterns). This parameter transformation enables better perception of subtle features because acoustic parameters can encode more information about signal variations in a way that is more sensitive to human sensory processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If traditional visual display methods are used, then diagnostic and research applications are enabled, but applications in entertainment and therapy are neglected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication scopeVSAvoidapplication context information

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the signal representation system universal by enabling multiple application domains. The same sonification technology can serve diagnostic purposes (medical), research purposes (scientific analysis), entertainment purposes (music generation from physiological signals), and therapeutic purposes (biofeedback, therapy). This multi-functionality expands application scope while preserving all relevant signal information through acoustic encoding.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If signals are converted to acoustic representations with multiple time-varying parameters, then the discernibility of subtle features is enhanced, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal feature detection accuracyVSAvoidsignal processing system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex task of signal sonification into distinct functional modules: signal acquisition from living subjects, signal processing and feature extraction, acoustic parameter generation (pitch, timbre, volume, temporal patterns), and signal combination/merging. This segmentation manages system complexity by organizing the processing chain into manageable, independent stages that can be developed and optimized separately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that transforms electrical physiological signals into acoustic parameters. This intermediary layer acts as a mediator between the biological signal source and the acoustic output, performing necessary transformations, filtering, and parameter mapping while managing the complexity of the overall system through a clear interface between input and output domains.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9888884B2Method of sonifying signals obtained from a living subject

Publication Date: 2018.02.13 THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIV

AI summary

A digital processor system obtains at least one time-domain signal representing brain activity and at least one time-domain signal representing heart activity, each having a time-varying signal value. The system produces representations of a plurality of acoustic signals, each of which corresponds to a respective time-domain signal and is produced by concurrently generating a plurality of acoustic parameters, including a plurality of time-varying acoustic parameters. One or more of the plurality of time-varying acoustic parameters is modulated in accordance with at least the signal value of the respective time-domain signal. Each representation of an acoustic signal of the plurality of acoustic signals is further produced by combining the concurrently generated plurality of acoustic parameters to produce the representation of the acoustic signal corresponding to the respective time-domain signal. The system combines the representations of each of the plurality of acoustic signals to produce a combined acoustic signal.