Patent ID: 9649087
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. A computer-implemented method, automatically implemented by one or more processors of a computing system, for detecting apneas and hypopneas from a digitized breath sound recording acquired from a candidate suspected of sleep apnea, the method comprising: scanning by at least one processor an amplitude profile of said digitized breath sound recording to identify a prospect event segment; evaluating by at least one processor characteristics of said prospect event segment for consistency with one or more preset apnea-specific criteria; classifying by at least one processor said prospect event segment as representative of an apnea upon it satisfying each of said one or more apnea-specific criteria; evaluating by at least one processor the characteristics of said prospect event for consistency with one or more preset hypopnea-specific criteria distinct from said apnea-specific criteria; classifying by at least one processor said prospect event segment as representative of a hypopnea upon it satisfying each of said one or more hypopnea-specific criteria; and outputting indication of a candidate's condition as a function of each said classified apnea and hypopnea; wherein said prospect event is characterized by a falling edge and a rising edge temporally separated by a low-amplitude segment; wherein said one or more apnea-specific criteria comprise a minimum apnea event amplitude depth threshold; and wherein said one or more hypopnea-specific criteria comprise