Method and apparatus for characterizing gastrointestinal sounds
AssigneeRush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center
InventorsRichard H. Sandler, Hussein A. Mansy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for characterizing gastrointestinal sounds includes a microphone array to be positioned on a body for producing gastrointestinal sound signals. The signals are digitized and their spectra and duration is determined by a processor. A characterization as to the state of the gastrointestinal tract is made on the basis of the spectra and duration of the sound or event.
Claims24
Apparatus for producing an output indication of a characteristic of a gastrointestinal sound comprising:
- means for converting a gastrointestinal sound to a gastrointestinal signal;
- means responsive to the gastrointestinal signal for producing a digitized gastrointestinal signal;
- means responsive to the digitized gastrointestinal signal for determining a time of a gastrointestinal event;
- and
- means responsive to the digitized gastrointestinal signal for determining a spatial location of the gastrointestinal event.
Apparatus for detecting and characterizing a gastrointestinal acoustical event comprising:
- a transducer for converting a gastrointestinal sound to a gastrointestinal signal:
- a converter for converting the gastrointestinal signal to a digitized gastrointestinal signal;
- a gastrointestinal event-time marker generator;
- and
- a gastrointestinal event spatial location identifier.
A method for producing an output indication of a characteristic of a gastrointestinal sound comprising:
- converting a gastrointestinal sound to a gastrointestinal signal;
- producing a digitized gastrointestinal signal;
- determining a time at which gastrointestinal event occurs;
- and
- determining a spatial position at which the gastrointestinal event occurs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.