Time-Domain Waveform Processing to Reduce Stethoscope Noise
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic stethoscopes introduce significant noise into audio signals during sound processing, hindering medical practitioners' ability to recognize patient organ issues due to frequency-domain processing.
Innovation Solution
Implementing computer-implemented sound filtering procedures in the time-domain to generate an augmented audio signal with a non-audible portion shifted to higher frequencies, using filters like finite impulse response and Butterworth digital filters, ensuring minimal overlap and noise reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If frequency-domain processing is used to shift infrasonic frequency components to audible frequencies, then the relevant information becomes audible, but a considerable amount of noise is introduced into the audio signal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces frequency-domain processing with time-domain processing. Specifically, it uses time-domain filtering with digital filters (such as Butterworth or Chebyshev filters) to shift infrasonic frequency components to audible frequencies without converting the signal to the frequency domain, thereby avoiding the noise introduction problem associated with frequency-domain methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the processing domain parameter from frequency-domain to time-domain. By performing all signal processing operations in the time domain, including filtering and frequency shifting, the system achieves the desired frequency transformation while maintaining signal quality and avoiding noise contamination
2Reliability
If conventional sound processing is performed to enhance auditory capabilities, then the medical practitioner's ability to hear bodily sounds is improved, but significant noise is introduced that hinders recognition of patient organ issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes conventional frequency-domain sound processing with time-domain processing. By using time-domain digital filters to perform frequency shifting and signal enhancement, the system maintains diagnostic reliability while eliminating the noise contamination that plagues conventional methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces time-domain digital filtering as an intermediary process between signal acquisition and final output. This intermediary step performs frequency shifting and enhancement operations in the time domain, serving as a noise-free bridge that preserves signal integrity while achieving the desired diagnostic enhancement
Data Source
AI summary
Method and processor for time-domain processing of a waveform signal are disclosed. The method includes filtering, by employing one or more cut-off frequency values, the waveform signal for generating the first portion and the second portion, acquiring a frequency shift value, generating a modulated signal having a first frequency portion and a second frequency portion and where the one or more cut-off frequency values have been determined for ensuring that the first frequency portion and the second frequency portion are non-overlapping portions of the modulated signal, and generating the modified signal using the first frequency portion.