Acoustic detection of respiratory conditions

A system for use in detecting a respiratory condition within a body, the system comprising:

• a source of sound waves that emits sound waves into an opening of the body;
• a first transducer that converts the sound waves emitted into the opening of the body into a first electrical signal;
• a second transducer adjacent to a location on the body that receives vibrations resulting from the sound waves interacting with the respiratory condition and impinging on the location on the body and converts the received vibrations into a second electrical signal;
• and
• a processing unit that uses the first and second electrical signals to calculate a value indicative of the respiratory condition.

A system for use in an apparatus having a processor that emits sound waves into an opening of a body to detect a respiratory condition within the body, the system comprising:

• a computer readable medium;
• a plurality of routines stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed by the processor, wherein the plurality of routines comprises:
• a first routine that is adapted to convert the sound waves emitted into the opening of the body into a first electrical signal;
• a second routine that is adapted to convert vibrations resulting from the emitted sound waves interacting with the respiratory condition and impinging on a location of the body into a second electrical signal;
• and
• a third routine that is adapted to use the first and second electrical signals to calculate a value indicative of the respiratory condition.

A method of detecting a respiratory condition within a body, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving indigenous respiratory sounds adjacent to a first location on the body at a first time;
• converting the indigenous respiratory sounds received at the first time into a first electrical signal;
• generating a first set of frequency data using the first electrical signal;
• and
• using the first set of frequency data to calculate an energy ratio indicative of the respiratory condition.

A method of detecting a respiratory condition within a body, the method comprising the steps of:

• impacting a portion of the body;
• receiving vibrations resulting from the impact interacting with the respiratory condition and the impacted portion of the body;
• converting the received vibrations into an electrical signal;
• and
• using the electrical signal to calculate a value indicative of the respiratory condition.

A system for use in detecting a respiratory condition within a body, the system comprising:

• an impact device that impacts a portion of the body to produce vibrations within the body;
• a transducer that converts vibrations resulting from impacts to the portion of the body after the vibrations have interacted with the respiratory condition in the impacted portion of the body into an electrical signal;
• and
• a processing unit that uses the electrical signal to calculate a value indicative of the respiratory condition.