Acoustic aneurysm detector and associated method
AssigneesUniversity of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education, University of Tennessee Researach Corporation
InventorsLaligam N. Sekhar, Robert J. Scalbassi, Mingui Sun, Jacob F. Wasserman
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Abstract
An acoustic aneurysm detector is disclosed which is comprised of hydrophone sensors in contact with a patient for receiving sound emanating from the patient and converting the sound into responsive or related electrical signals, an electronic unit for converting the responsive electrical signals into processed electrical signals and a computer having software which is operatively associated with the electronic unit for receiving the processed electrical signals and for providing an indication of the frequency of the sound over a specified time range. An associated method is also disclosed.
Claims32
An acoustic intracranial aneurysm detector consisting of
- as plurality of hydrophone sensors adapted to be in contact with a patient for receiving sound emanating from said patient and for converting the sound to be responsive electronic signals, means for adjustably positioning said sensors in contact with the patient's head,
- electronic means for filtering and amplifying the responsive electric signals to create processed electrical signals, and
- analysis means operatively associated with said electronic means for receiving said processed electrical signals and for simultaneously providing an output indication of the frequency and relative magnitude of said sound at each of a plurality of time intervals within a cardiac cycle of said patient, whereby the presence or absence of an aneurysm in said patient can be detected.
A method of detecting the presence or absence of an aneurysm in a patient comprising the steps of
- providing an acoustic aneurysm detector including a plurality of hydrophone sensors an electronic means, and analysis means,
- mounting said hydrophone sensors means on said patient to receive a sound from said patient,
- converting said sound by said hydrophone sensors to responsive electrical signals,
- amplifying and filtering said responsive electrical signals by said electronic means to create processed electrical signals,
- delivering said processed electrical signals to said analysis means, and
- outputting a simultaneous indication of the frequency and relative magnitude of said sound at each of a plurality of time intervals within a cardiac cycle of said patient, whereby the presence or absence of said aneurysm in a patient may be detected.
A sensor device for use in determining the presence or absence of an aneurysm in a patient comprising a plurality of hydrophone sensors
- a helmet-like device adapted to be worn on said patient's head including means for receiving said plurality of hydrophone sensors said hydrophone sensors being received within said receiving means such that said sensors are adapted to be in contact with said patient's head, and
- said helmet-like device having a central hub, and wherein said receiving means includes a plurality of fingers which have disposed on their ends said hydrophone sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.