Patent ID: 7727161
Filing Date: 2010-06-01
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring cough in a subject comprising: providing a monitoring system that is adapted to monitor at least one physiological parameter associated with the subject, said monitoring system including means for monitoring chest wall movement that is adapted to provide chest wall movement data representing movement of the rib cage and abdomen, an audio sensor that is adapted to detect sound emanating from the subject and provide sound data representing said emanating sound, and a motion detector that is adapted to detect motion and change of posture of the subject and provide accelerometer data representative of said subject motion and posture; monitoring the subject with said monitoring system, whereby first chest wall movement data and first sound data is provided; determining tidal volume data from said first chest wall movement data; processing said first chest wall movement data and said tidal volume data using a processor in order to recognize respiratory events when a measure of peak power in said first chest wall movement data exceeds a threshold level; processing said first sound data with said processor in order to recognize sound events when a sound envelope exceeds a threshold level; processing concurrent respiratory and sound events with said processor to identify patterns characteristic of a cough; determining a measure of pitch of concurrent sound events; and identifying a cough if the characteristic patterns are present and if said determined pitch measure of said concurrent sound event indicates the absence of speech sounds.