Method and apparatus for locating the origin of intrathoracic sounds
OwnerRaymond L. H. Murphy, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for localizing intrathoracic sounds in a patient. The system utilizes a plurality of microphones placed around the patient. The outputs of the microphones are amplified and filtered by a signal conditioner and converted into digital data streams. The digital data is then analyzed to determine the arrival of a subject at each microphone relative to the arrival time at the first microphone to sense the subject sound. Using equations of motion and the three-dimensional coordinates of the microphones, the system solves for the point of origin of the subject sounds and its speed.
Claims20
A system for localizing intrathoracic sounds utilizing a plurality of microphones attached to a subject, each microphone having a set of three-dimensional coordinates and providing an audio output, the system comprising:
- A. a signal conditioner connected to the plurality of microphones, the signal conditioner processing the audio outputs of the microphones to remove unwanted noise and boost signal strength;
- B. digitizing means connected to the signal conditioner for converting the processed and modified audio outputs for each microphone into a corresponding digital data stream;
- and
- C. an origin detection module connected to the digitizing means for receiving the digital data streams, the origin detection module having a display screen,
- wherein the origin detection module is capable of displaying the digital data stream for each microphone in a time-expanded format on the display screen, such that an arrival time for the intrathoracic sounds may be determined at each microphone, and determining the three dimensional location of the intrathoracic sounds based upon the set of three-dimensional coordinates and the arrival time for each microphone.
A method for localizing intrathoracic sounds within a subject, the system comprising the steps of:
- placing a plurality of microphones that provide an audio output about the subject;
- measuring a set of three-dimensional coordinates for each microphone;
- providing the audio output from each microphone to a signal conditioner for processing to remove unwanted noise and boost signal strength;
- converting the processed audio output from each microphone into a digital data stream;
- synchronously pairing a master clock signal to the digital data stream for each microphone;
- determining an arrival time of the intrathoracic sounds at each microphone relative to a first microphone to sense the intrathoracic sounds by reference to the master clock signal;
- calculating a three dimensional point of origin of the intrathoracic sounds based upon the corresponding set of three-dimensional coordinates and arrival time for each microphone by solving equations of motion and geometric relationships of the microphones.
In a system for localizing sounds emanating from within a human body in which a plurality of sensors are disposed about the body, each sensor detecting a subject sound at a different time relative to the other sensors and each having a set of three dimensional coordinates, an origin detection module comprising:
- a source of arrival time differences, each arrival time difference corresponding to a given sensor and measured relative to a first sensor to detect the subject sound;
- and
- means for determining the three-dimensional location of the subject sound in response to the three dimensional coordinates and the arrival time differences corresponding to each sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.