Abstract:
Exemplary implementations may provide objective, continuous, and clinically useful assessment of asthma control in subjects including young children using a device that is compact, non-intrusive, and simple. The device may include a water-resistant, flexible patch that can be comfortably worn for two weeks or more. In some implementations, the patch may resemble a Band-Aid® that is placed on the supra-sternal notch. The device may record respiratory sounds that can be analyzed to identify coughing and wheezing episodes. The device may operate in different modes including ones for assessment of nocturnal symptoms, exercise-induced asthma, and overall asthma control. The device may be useful for objectively assessing asthma control to aid clinical therapy, and for an improved way to diagnose exercise-induced asthma.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/059,722, filed Oct. 3, 2014, entitled “WEARABLE DEVICES CONFIGURED FOR FACILITATING DIAGNOSIS AND/OR ASSESSMENT OF PULMONARY DISEASES, AND CORRESPONDING METHODS”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    This disclosure relates to wearable devices configured for facilitating diagnosis and/or assessment of pulmonary diseases, and corresponding methods. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Asthma may be considered one of the most preventable conditions necessitating frequent use of acute care services. To prevent hospitalizations and emergency department visits, it may be important for physicians to obtain an accurate assessment of a subject&#39;s asthma symptom control. A subject&#39;s perception and caretaker&#39;s (e.g., a parent or guardian) perception of asthma control of the subject may vary tremendously and frequently may not correlate with objective measures. In one study, 21% of parents described their children&#39;s asthma as very well controlled, and yet the child had visited the emergency room or required an acute outpatient visit for asthma in the last three months. With varying asthma phenotypes, poor asthma-control perception, and growing costs of asthma, adequate asthma-control measures are important. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    Exemplary implementations may provide objective, continuous, and clinically useful assessment of asthma control in subjects including young children using a device that is compact, non-intrusive, and simple. The device may include a water-resistant, flexible patch that can be comfortably worn for two weeks or more. In some implementations, the patch may resemble a Band-Aid® that is placed on the supra-sternal notch. The device may record respiratory sounds that can be analyzed to identify coughing and wheezing episodes. The device may operate in different modes including ones for assessment of nocturnal symptoms, exercise-induced asthma, and overall asthma control. The device may be useful for objectively assessing asthma control to aid clinical therapy, and for an improved way to diagnose exercise-induced asthma. 
         [0005]    Indeed, one aspect of the disclosure relates to a wearable device configured for facilitating diagnosis and/or assessment of a pulmonary disease. The device may include a flexible patch having a skin contact surface configured to contact human skin. The device may include a water-resistant enclosure disposed upon or within the patch. The device may include an acoustic sensor disposed within the enclosure. The acoustic sensor maybe configured to provide an acoustic signal conveying information associated with internal respiratory sounds. The acoustic sensor may include a contact accelerometer configured to sense tissue vibration. The device may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium disposed within the enclosure. The storage medium may be configured to store information and provide access to the stored information. The device may include one or more processors disposed within the enclosure. The one or more processors may be configured by computer program instructions to record onto the storage medium information conveyed by one or more signals including the acoustic signal. The information may be analyzable to identify one or both of wheezing or coughing episodes. 
         [0006]    Another aspect of the disclosure relates to a wearable device configured for facilitating diagnosis and/or assessment of a pulmonary disease. The device may include a flexible patch having a skin contact surface covered with a hypoallergenic adhesive configured to adhere to human skin. The device may include a water-resistant enclosure disposed upon or within the patch. The device may include an acoustic sensor disposed within the enclosure. The acoustic sensor may be configured to provide an acoustic signal conveying information associated with internal respiratory sounds. The device may include a muscle activity sensor disposed within the enclosure. The muscle activity sensor may be configured to provide a muscle activity signal conveying information associated with contraction of an accessory respiratory muscle. The device may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium disposed within the enclosure. The storage medium may be configured to store information and provide access to the stored information. The device may include one or more processors disposed within the enclosure. The one or more processors may be configured by computer program instructions to record onto the storage medium information conveyed by one or more signals including the acoustic signal and the muscle activity signal. The information may be analyzable to identify one or both of wheezing or coughing episodes. The one or more processors may be configured by computer program instructions to determine an occurrence of clinically significant wheezing. The determination may be based on information conveyed by the acoustic signal and the muscle activity signal. 
         [0007]    Yet another aspect of the disclosure relates to a method for facilitating diagnosis and/or assessment of a pulmonary disease using a wearable device. The wearable device may include a flexible patch having a skin contact surface covered with a hypoallergenic adhesive configured to adhere to human skin and a water-resistant enclosure disposed upon or within the patch. The patch may be configured to be worn proximate to a suprasternal notch of a subject. The patch may be shaped to resemble an elongated adhesive bandage. The method may include obtaining an acoustic signal from an acoustic sensor disposed within the enclosure. The acoustic signal may convey information associated with internal respiratory sounds. The acoustic sensor may include a contact accelerometer configured to sense tissue vibration. The method may include obtaining a muscle activity signal from a muscle activity sensor disposed within the enclosure. The muscle activity signal may convey information associated with contraction of an accessory respiratory muscle. The method may include recording onto a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium disposed within the enclosure information conveyed by one or more signals including the acoustic signal and the muscle activity signal. The information may be analyzable to identify one or both of wheezing or coughing episodes. The method may include determining an occurrence of clinically significant wheezing. The determination may be based on information conveyed by the acoustic signal and the muscle activity signal. 
         [0008]    Still another aspect of the disclosure relates to a method for treating a pulmonary disease. The method may include obtaining a diagnosis of the pulmonary disease using a wearable device. The device may include a flexible patch having a skin contact surface covered with a hypoallergenic adhesive configured to adhere to human skin. The device may include a water-resistant enclosure disposed upon or within the patch. The device may include an acoustic sensor disposed within the enclosure. The acoustic sensor may be configured to provide an acoustic signal conveying information associated with internal respiratory sounds. The acoustic sensor may include a contact accelerometer configured to sense tissue vibration. The device may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium disposed within the enclosure. The storage medium may be configured to store information and provide access to the stored information. The device may include one or more processors disposed within the enclosure. The one or more processors may be configured by computer program instructions to record onto the storage medium information conveyed by one or more signals including the acoustic signal. The information may be analyzable to identify one or both of wheezing or coughing episodes. The method may include administering a therapeutic agent effective in ameliorating the pulmonary disease. 
         [0009]    These and other features, and characteristics of the present technology, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a system configured for facilitating diagnosis and/or assessment of a pulmonary disease using a wearable device, in accordance with one or more implementations. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary form factor of the wearable device, in accordance with one or more implementations. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary placement of the wearable device on a human subject, in accordance with one or more implementations. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary processor included in the system of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with one or more implementations. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  illustrates a method for facilitating diagnosis and/or assessment of a pulmonary disease using a wearable device, in accordance with one or more implementations. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  illustrates a method for treating a pulmonary disease, in accordance with one or more implementations. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]      FIG. 1  illustrates a system  100  configured for facilitating diagnosis and/or assessment of a pulmonary disease using a wearable device  102 , in accordance with one or more implementations. Although some implementations are described herein in the context of asthma, this is not intended to be limiting. For example, some implementations may be used for facilitating diagnosis and/or assessment of pulmonary disease including one or more of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, bronchitis, restrictive lung disease, pneumonia, atalectasis, consolidation, and/or other pulmonary diseases. In some implementations, system  100  may include a device  102 , one or more computing platforms  104 , and/or other components. 
         [0017]    The device  102  may include a flexible patch  105 , an enclosure  106 , and/or other components. In some implementations, device  102  may be referred to as a “wearable adherent device” or a “wearable adhesive device.” The flexible patch  105  may comprise a flexible patch having a skin contact surface configured to contact human skin. In some implementations, flexible patch  105  may comprise an elongated shape reminiscent of typical adhesive bandages (e.g., a Band-Aid®). The flexible patch  105  may be sized approximately two by six centimeters. Other shapes and sizes are contemplated, and are within the scope of the disclosure. For example, the flexible patch  105  may be shaped as one or more of a V-shape, a U-shape, a circular or round shape (with or without lateral extensions), an elongated rectangular shape, and/or other shapes. The flexible patch  105  may be formed of a soft, stretchable foam patch. The enclosure  106  may comprise a water-resistant enclosure disposed upon or within the patch. This water resistance may allow a subject to bathe while still wearing device  102 . In some implementations, enclosure  106  may be formed of a rigid or semi-rigid plastic or other material to protect its contents.  FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary form factor of device  102 , in accordance with one or more implementations. 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary placement of device  102  on a human subject, in accordance with one or more implementations. In some implementations, flexible patch  105  may be configured to be worn proximate to a suprasternal notch of a subject. The flexible patch may straddle over two sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles. Depending on the specific application, the location at which flexible patch  105  is to be worn may differ. For example, in some implementations, device  102  may be worn at upper sternum, right and/or left lung fields in front, right and/or left lung fields in back, the neck, upper chest, and/or other locations. In some implementations, device  102  may be worn at the lower chest in the front or in the back to detect abnormal breath sounds, such as wheezes, rhonchi or rales in the peripheral lungs. 
         [0019]    Although system  100  is shown in  FIG. 1  as including a single device  102 , this is not intended to be limited as some implementations may include more than on device  102 . For example, in some implementations, two or more devices the same as or similar to device  102  may be configured to be positioned at different locations on a subject (e.g., neck and upper lungs). In implementations including more than one device  102 , those multiple devices  102  may be configured to communicate between each other. 
         [0020]    In some implementations, the skin contact surface of flexible patch  105  may be covered with a hypoallergenic adhesive configured to adhere to human skin. Such adhesion may last for an entire measurement time period (e.g., one day, several days, one week, two weeks, and/or other durations). In some implementations, flexible patch  105  may comprise a strap used to secure flexible patch  105  in position on a subject. Other approaches for maintaining a position of flexible patch  105  relative to a subject are contemplated, and are within the scope of the disclosure. 
         [0021]    Referring again to  FIG. 1 , enclosure  106  (and/or flexible patch  105 ) may carry, house, and/or enclose one or more of an acoustic sensor  108 , a motion sensor  110 , a muscle activity sensor  112 , a clock  114 , an ambient temperature sensor  116 , a communications port  118 , a power source  120 , a switching mechanism  121 , electronic storage  122 , one or more processors  124 , and/or other components. In some implementations, one or more of components  108 ,  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 ,  118 ,  120 ,  121 ,  122 , and/or  124  may be disposed outside of enclosure  106 , and instead may be disposed on or within patch  105  or at a different location within system  100 . 
         [0022]    The acoustic sensor  108  may be configured to provide an acoustic signal conveying information associated with internal respiratory sounds. According to various implementations, acoustic sensor  108  may include a microphone configured to sense sound propagating in air, a contact accelerometer configured to sense tissue vibration, and/or other acoustic sensors. A contact accelerometer may provide certain advantages over some microphones including (1) reduced ambient noise; (2) improved signal-to-noise ratios, e.g., because tissue vibration may act as a low pass filter; (3) smaller physical dimensions, which may be important in wearable devices for young children; and (4) lower power consumption and data density, which are desirable for prolonged monitoring. 
         [0023]    The motion sensor  110  may be configured to provide a motion signal conveying information associated with body motion of a subject wearing device  102 . In some implementation, motion sensor  110  may include a tri-axial accelerometer and/or other sensor configured to detect motion and/or acceleration. 
         [0024]    The muscle activity sensor  112  may be configured to provide a muscle activity signal conveying information associated with activity (e.g., contraction and/or retraction) of one or more muscles of a subject wearing device  102 . In some implementations, the one or more muscles may include a sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle, other accessory respiratory muscles, and/or other muscles associated with respiration. The use of accessory respiratory muscles, such as the SCMs, may be a clinical sign called “retraction.” Retraction may be indicative of significant distress from bronchoconstriction or wheezing. In some implementations, muscle activity sensor  112  may include a stretch sensor, a bend sensor, a tension sensor, a movement sensor, an electromyography (EMG) sensor, and/or other sensors configured to provide signals associated with muscle activity. In some implementations, muscle activity sensor  112  may be disposed at opposing ends of patch  105 . The location at which muscle activity sensor  112  is disposed on patch  105  may be based on anatomical information such as muscle location. 
         [0025]    The clock  114  may be configured to provide a clock signal conveying information associated with a time or duration. In some implementations, the clock signal may be used to provide a time stamp for other signals. The clock signal may convey information indicating how long device  102  has been worn. The clock signal may convey information indicating a time of day. In some implementations, clock  14  may be used to correlate information associated with wheezing and/or coughing to time of day. In some implementations, clock  114  may be configured to provide time stamps to some or all collected data so that data associated with different parameters can be synchronized. 
         [0026]    The ambient temperature sensor  116  may be configured to provide a temperature signal conveying information associated with an ambient temperature (i.e., an air temperature in an environment surrounding a subject wearing device  102 ). In some implementations, ambient temperature sensor  116  may include one or more of a thermometer, a thermocouple, a thermistor, and/or other sensors configured to detect temperature. 
         [0027]    The communications port  118  may be configured to facilitate communication between one or more components of device  102 , one or more components of computing platform(s)  104 , and/or other components of system  100 . The communications port  118  may facilitate wired or wireless communication. The communications port  118  may support one or more wired communications standards including Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, and/or other wired communications standards. The communications port  118  may support one or more wireless communications standards including wireless wide area network (WWAN) (e.g., RTT, EDGE, LTE, WiMAX, and/or other WWAN standards), wireless local area network (WLAN) (e.g., Wi-Fi and/or other WLAN standards), wireless personal area network (WPAN) (e.g., Bluetooth, Wireless USB, ZigBee, and/or other WPAN standards), and/or other wireless communications standards. The communications port  118  may include radio-frequency identification (RFID). 
         [0028]    The power source  120  may be configured to provide electrical power to one or more components of device  102 . In some implementations, power source  120  may be configured to provide electrical power for an entire measurement time period (e.g., one week, two weeks, and/or other duration). In some implementations, power source  120  may be rechargeable. The power source  120  may include one or more of a battery, a capacitor, and/or other sources of electrical power. 
         [0029]    The switching mechanism  121  may be configured to turn on or turn off electrical power to one or more components of device  102 . In some implementations, device  102  may include a protective cover  125  configured to protect the skin contact surface of flexible patch  105  when device  102  is not in use. The switching mechanism  121  may be configured to activate one or more components of device  102  responsive to protective cover  125  being removed from the skin contact surface of patch  105 . The switching mechanism  121  may be configured to deactivate one or more components of device  102  responsive to device  102  ceasing to be worn. By way of non-limiting example, switching mechanism  121  may include one or more of a magnetic switch, a mechanical switch, a sensor-triggered switch based on pre-defined parameters and/or thresholds, and/or other switching mechanisms. 
         [0030]    As described above, device  102  may include electronic storage  122  and/or processor(s)  124 . The electronic storage  122  may comprise non-transitory storage media that electronically stores information. Exemplary implementations of electronic storage  122  are described further herein. The processor(s)  124  may provide computing capabilities to device  102 . Exemplary implementations of processor(s)  124  are described in connection with  FIG. 4 . 
         [0031]    The computing platform(s)  104  may include electronic storage  126 , one or more processors  128 , and/or other components. The electronic storage  126  may comprise non-transitory storage media that electronically stores information. Exemplary implementations of electronic storage  126  are described further herein. The processor(s)  128  may provide computing capabilities to computing platform(s)  104 . Exemplary implementations of processor(s)  128  are described in connection with  FIG. 4 . By way of non-limiting example, the given computing platform  104  may include one or more of a server computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a tablet computing platform, a NetBook, a Smartphone, and/or other computing platforms. In some implementations, a given computing platform  104  may be a mobile device configured to run an application by which device  102  can be interacted with by a user. Such interactions may include programming device  102 , controlling a mode of operation of device  102 , providing information to device  102 , receiving information form device  102 , and/or other interactions. 
         [0032]    The computing platform(s)  104  may include communication lines, or ports to enable the exchange of information with a network and/or other computing platforms. Illustration of computing platform(s)  104  in  FIG. 1  is not intended to be limiting. The computing platform(s)  104  may include a plurality of hardware, software, and/or firmware components operating together to provide the functionality attributed herein to computing platform(s)  104 . For example, computing platform(s)  104  may be implemented by a cloud of computing platforms operating together as computing platform(s)  104 . 
         [0033]    In some implementations, device  102 , computing platform(s)  104 , and/or external resources  130  may be operatively linked via one or more electronic communication links. For example, such electronic communication links may be established, at least in part, via a network such as the Internet and/or other networks. It will be appreciated that this is not intended to be limiting, and that the scope of this disclosure includes implementations in which device  102 , computing platform(s)  104 , and/or external resources  130  may be operatively linked via some other communication media. 
         [0034]    External resources  130  may include sources of information, hosts and/or providers of medical information outside of system  100 , external entities participating with system  100 , and/or other resources. In some implementations, some or all of the functionality attributed herein to external resources  130  may be provided by resources included in system  100 . 
         [0035]    Electronic storage  122  and/or electronic storage  126  may comprise non-transitory storage media that electronically stores information. The electronic storage media of electronic storage  122  may include one or both of system storage that is provided integrally (i.e., substantially non-removable) with device  102 . The electronic storage media of electronic storage  126  may include one or both of system storage that is provided integrally (i.e., substantially non-removable) with computing platform(s)  104 . Electronic storage  122  and/or electronic storage  126  may comprise removable storage that is removably connectable to device  102  and/or computing platform(s)  104 , for example, a port (e.g., a USB port, a firewire port, etc.) or a drive (e.g., a disk drive, etc.). Electronic storage  122  and/or electronic storage  126  may include one or more of optically readable storage media (e.g., optical disks, etc.), magnetically readable storage media (e.g., magnetic tape, magnetic hard drive, floppy drive, etc.), electrical charge-based storage media (e.g., EEPROM, RAM, etc.), solid-state storage media (e.g., flash drive, etc.), and/or other electronically readable storage media. Electronic storage  122  and/or electronic storage  126  may include one or more virtual storage resources (e.g., cloud storage, a virtual private network, and/or other virtual storage resources). Electronic storage  122  and/or electronic storage  126  may store software algorithms, information conveyed by one or more sensors including in device  102 , information determined by processor(s)  124  and/or processor(s)  128 , information received from device  102 , information received from computing platform(s)  104 , and/or other information that enables system  100  to function as described herein. 
         [0036]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary processor  400  included in system  100 , in accordance with one or more implementations. The processor  400  may be the same as or similar to processor(s)  124  in device  102  and/or processor(s)  128  in computing platform(s)  104 . The processor  400  may be configured by computer program instructions  402 . The computer program instructions  402  may include one or more of a recording component  404 , a modal control component  406 , a power management component  408 , a report provisioning component  410 , an awake/asleep status determination component  412 , an activity level determination component  414 , a poor-asthma-control determination component  416 , an exercise-induced asthma determination component  418 , a clinically-significant wheezing determination component  420 , a cold-air-triggered asthma exacerbation determination component  422 , a communications component  424 , and/or other components. 
         [0037]    The recording component  404  may be configured to record information conveyed by one or more signals provided by device  102 . As described above, those signals may include one or more of an acoustic signal provided by acoustic sensor  108 , a motion signal provided by motion sensor  110 , a muscle activity signal provided by muscle activity sensor  112 , a clock signal provided by clock  114 , a temperature signal provided by ambient temperature sensor  116 , and/or other signals. Signals and/or information conveyed by signals may be synchronized based on the time at which they were acquired. Signals and/or information conveyed by signals may be time stamped based on the clock signal. The information recorded by recording component  404  may be analyzable to identify one or both of wheezing or coughing episodes. The recording component  404  may be configured to record information onto electronic storage  122 , electronic storage  126 , and/or other locations. 
         [0038]    The modal control component  406  may be configured to control an operational mode of device  102 . In some implementations, an operational mode may be customized by a user. In some implementations, an operational mode may be selected from among two or more preprogrammed operational modes of device  102 . Examples of preprogrammed operational modes may include a nocturnal mode, an exercise mode, a 24-hour mode, a before/after mode, and/or other modes of operation. In the nocturnal mode, device  102  may be dormant during daytime and activated during nighttime. Daytime and nighttime may be defined by default time values or time values provided by a user. In the exercise mode, device  102  may be activated from a dormant state responsive to a level of exercise being detected. The device  102  may remain activated for a duration after the level of exercise ceases. The duration may be defined by a default duration value or a duration value provided by a user. In the 24-hour mode, device  102  may remain activated during all times device  102  is being worn. In the before/after mode, device  102  may be activated during specific times before and after a therapeutic treatment. The specific times may be defined by specific time values or specific time values provided by a user. 
         [0039]    The power management component  408  may be configured to manage power usage by one or more components of device  102 . In some implementations, power management component  408  may be configured to cause device  102  to record information during a fraction of the time during which device  102  is activated and/or being worn. By way of non-limiting example, the fraction of the time during which device  102  records may be defined as the first ten seconds of every minute, and/or some other periodic recordation. In some implementations, power management component  408  may be configured to initiate recording in response to a trigger. Examples of such a trigger may include one or more of detection of a clinically-significant wheeze or cough, detection of physical activity breaching a threshold, the subject wearing device  102  waking up, detection of an ambient temperature breaching a threshold, contraction of bilateral SCM muscles with inspiration, and/or other triggers. 
         [0040]    The report provisioning component  410  may be configured to provide a report based on information recorded while device  102  is worn. The report may comprise one or more of a table, a graph, and/or other formats for conveying information. The report may convey one or more of: (1) an amount of time with nocturnal wheezing; (2) an amount of time with daytime wheezing; (3) an amount of sleep time with wheezing; (4) an amount of day time with wheezing; (5) an amount of nighttime coughs; (6) an amount of daytime coughs; (7) an amount of wheezing episodes during and/or after exercise; (8) an amount of moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) associated with wheezing, (9) wheezing and/or coughing associated with exposure to cold ambient temperature, (10) wheezing and/or coughing associated with one or more triggers described in connection with power management component  408 , and/or other information. 
         [0041]    The awake/asleep status determination component  412  may be configured to determine whether a subject wearing the device is awake or sleeping. In some implementations, the determination may be based on information conveyed by one or more of the motion signal, postural signal, the clock signal, and/or other signals provided by sensors included in device  102 . By way of non-limiting illustration, awake/asleep status determination component  412  may determine whether a subject wearing the device is awake or sleeping based on whether the subject is moving or still, a body position or orientation of the subject, a posture of the subject, whether it is daytime or nighttime, and/or other information. 
         [0042]    The activity level determination component  414  may be configured to determine a current activity level of a subject wearing the device. In some implementations, the determination may be based on information conveyed by one or more of the motion signal, the clock signal, and/or other signals provided by sensors included in device  102 . For example, activity level determination component  414  may determine a current activity level based on how much the subject is moving, a body position or orientation of the subject, a posture of the subject, what time the subject is scheduled to exercise (e.g., school recess, sports practice, and/or other scheduled exercise), and/or other information. 
         [0043]    The poor-asthma-control determination component  416  may be configured to determine a presence of poor asthma control. In some implementations, the determination may be based on an indication of wheezing during exercise. The determination may be based on information conveyed by one or more of the acoustic signal, the motion signal, and/or other signals provided by sensors included in device  102 . In one non-limiting illustration, poor-asthma-control determination component  416  may determine a presence of poor asthma control by correlating clinically-significant wheezing with periods of physical activity that breach a threshold. 
         [0044]    The exercise-induced asthma determination component  418  may be configured to determine a presence of exercise-induced asthma. In some implementations, the determination may be based on an indication of wheezing after exercise. The determination may be based on one or more of information conveyed by the acoustic signal, the motion signal, and/or other signals provided by sensors included in device  102 . For example, exercise-induced asthma determination component  418  may determine a presence of exercise-induced asthma by correlating clinically-significant wheezing with periods following physical activity that breached a threshold. 
         [0045]    The clinically-significant wheezing determination component  420  may be configured to determine an occurrence of clinically significant wheezing. The determination being based on one or more of information conveyed by the acoustic signal, the muscle activity signal, and/or other signals provided by sensors included in device  102 . Those skilled in the art will recognize that clinically-significant wheezing is distinct from wheezing in general. Children, for example, may wheeze frequently, but not all such wheezes may be clinically significant. In some implementations, clinically-significant wheezing determination component  420  may determine an occurrence of clinically-significant wheezing by correlating wheezing episodes (e.g., based on the acoustic signal) with contractions of the bilateral sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle (e.g., based on the muscle activity signal) with individual respiratory cycles. 
         [0046]    The cold-air-triggered asthma exacerbation determination component  422  may be configured to determine a presence of cold air triggered asthma exacerbation. The determination may be based on information conveyed by one or more of the acoustic signal, the temperature signal, and/or other signals provided by sensors included in device  102 . According to some implementations, cold-air-triggered asthma exacerbation determination component  422  may determine a presence of cold air triggered asthma exacerbation by correlating a period of wheezing and/or coughing with a period of time during which a subject wearing device  102  is in an environment with an ambient temperature that breaches a threshold. 
         [0047]    The communications component  424  may be configured to facilitate communication between one or more of device  102 , computing platform(s)  104 , and/or other components of system  100 . According to some implementations, communications component  424  may provide access by a user of a given computing platform  104  to information stored in device  102 . The communications component  424  may allow a user of a given computing platform  102  to program an operational mode of device  102 . The communications component  424  may facilitate a user interfacing with device  102  via a mobile app running on a given computing platform  104 . 
         [0048]    Processor(s)  400  may be configured to provide information processing capabilities in system  100  (e.g., in device  102  and/or computing platform(s)  104 ). As such, processor(s)  400  may include one or more of a digital processor, an analog processor, a digital circuit designed to process information, an analog circuit designed to process information, a state machine, and/or other mechanisms for electronically processing information. Although processor(s)  400  is shown in  FIG. 4  as a single entity, this is for illustrative purposes only. In some implementations, processor(s)  400  may include a plurality of processing units. These processing units may be physically located within the same device (e.g., in device  102  and/or computing platform(s)  104 ), or processor(s)  400  may represent processing functionality of a plurality of devices operating in coordination (e.g., device  102  and/or computing platform(s)  104 ). The processor(s) may be configured to execute one of more components of computer program instructions  402  including one or more of components  404 ,  406 ,  408 ,  410 ,  412 ,  414 ,  416 ,  418 ,  420 ,  422 ,  424 , and/or other components. Processor(s)  400  may be configured to execute one or more of components  404 ,  406 ,  408 ,  410 ,  412 ,  414 ,  416 ,  418 ,  420 ,  422 ,  424 , and/or other components by software; hardware; firmware; some combination of software, hardware, and/or firmware; and/or other mechanisms for configuring processing capabilities on processor(s)  400 . As used herein, the term “component” may refer to any component or set of components that perform the functionality attributed to a given component of computer program instructions  202 . This may include one or more physical processors during execution of processor readable instructions, the processor readable instructions, circuitry, hardware, storage media, and/or any other components. 
         [0049]    It should be appreciated that although components  404 ,  406 ,  408 ,  410 ,  412 ,  414 ,  416 ,  418 ,  420 ,  422 , and  424  are illustrated in  FIG. 1  as being implemented within a single processing unit, in implementations in which processor(s)  400  includes multiple processing units, one or more of components  404 ,  406 ,  408 ,  410 ,  412 ,  414 ,  416 ,  418 ,  420 ,  422 , and/or  424  may be implemented remotely from the other components. The description of the functionality provided by the different components  404 ,  406 ,  408 ,  410 ,  412 ,  414 ,  416 ,  418 ,  420 ,  422 , and/or  424  described below is for illustrative purposes, and is not intended to be limiting, as any of components  404 ,  406 ,  408 ,  410 ,  412 ,  414 ,  416 ,  418 ,  420 ,  422 , and/or  424  may provide more or less functionality than is described. For example, one or more of components  404 ,  406 ,  408 ,  410 ,  412 ,  414 ,  416 ,  418 ,  420 ,  422 , and/or  424  may be eliminated, and some or all of its functionality may be provided by other ones of components  404 ,  406 ,  408 ,  410 ,  412 ,  414 ,  416 ,  418 ,  420 ,  422 , and/or  424 . As another example, processor(s)  400  may be configured to execute one or more additional computer program instruction components that may perform some or all of the functionality attributed below to one of components  404 ,  406 ,  408 ,  410 ,  412 ,  414 ,  416 ,  418 ,  420 ,  422 , and/or  424 . 
         [0050]      FIGS. 5 and 6  respectively illustrate method  500  and method  600 , each being associated with device  102 , in accordance with one or more implementations. The operations of method  500  and method  600  presented below are intended to be illustrative. In some implementations, method  500  and/or method  600  may be accomplished with one or more additional operations not described, and/or without one or more of the operations discussed. Additionally, the order in which the operations of method  500  and/or method  600  is illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6  and described below is not intended to be limiting. 
         [0051]    In some implementations, one or more operations of method  500  and/or method  600  may be implemented in one or more processing devices (e.g., a digital processor, an analog processor, a digital circuit designed to process information, an analog circuit designed to process information, a state machine, and/or other mechanisms for electronically processing information). The one or more processing devices may include one or more devices executing some or all of the operations of method  500  and/or method  600  in response to instructions stored electronically on an electronic storage medium. The one or more processing devices may include one or more devices configured through hardware, firmware, and/or software to be specifically designed for execution of one or more of the operations of method  500  and/or method  600 . 
         [0052]    The method  500  illustrated in  FIG. 5  is for facilitating diagnosis and/or assessment of a pulmonary disease using a wearable device (e.g., device  102 ), in accordance with one or more implementations. The wearable device may comprise a flexible patch having a skin contact surface covered with a hypoallergenic adhesive configured to adhere to human skin and a water-resistant enclosure disposed upon or within the patch. The patch may be configured to be worn proximate to a suprasternal notch of a subject. The patch may be shaped to resemble an elongated adhesive bandage. 
         [0053]    At an operation  502 , an acoustic signal may be obtained from an acoustic sensor (e.g., acoustic sensor  108 . The acoustic sensor may be disposed within the enclosure of the wearable device. The acoustic signal may convey information associated with internal respiratory sounds. The acoustic sensor may include a contact accelerometer configured to sense tissue vibration. In some implementations, operation  502  may be performed by a processor configured to execute a recording component that is the same as or similar to recording component  404 . 
         [0054]    At an operation  504 , a muscle activity signal may be obtained from a muscle activity sensor (e.g., muscle activity sensor  112 ). The muscle activity sensor may be disposed within the enclosure of the wearable device. The muscle activity signal may convey information associated with contraction of a sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle of a subject wearing the wearable device. In some implementations, operation  504  may be performed by a processor configured to execute a recording component that is the same as or similar to recording component  404 . 
         [0055]    At an operation  506 , information conveyed by one or more signals including the acoustic signal and the muscle activity signal may be recorded onto a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be disposed within the enclosure of the wearable device. The information may be analyzable to identify one or both of wheezing or coughing episodes. In some implementations, operation  506  may be performed by a processor configured to execute a recording component that is the same as or similar to recording component  404 . 
         [0056]    At an operation  508 , an occurrence of clinically significant wheezing may be determined. The determination may be being based on information conveyed by the acoustic signal and the muscle activity signal. In some implementations, operation  508  may be performed by a processor configured to execute a clinically-significant wheezing determination component that is the same as or similar to clinically-significant wheezing determination component  420 . 
         [0057]    The method  600  illustrated in  FIG. 6  is for treating a pulmonary disease, in accordance with one or more implementations. 
         [0058]    At an operation  602 , a diagnosis of the pulmonary disease may be obtained using a wearable device and/or based on information obtained via the wearable device. In some implementations, the wearable device may comprise one or more of: a flexible patch having a skin contact surface covered with a hypoallergenic adhesive configured to adhere to human skin; a water-resistant enclosure disposed upon or within the patch; an acoustic sensor disposed within the enclosure, the acoustic sensor being configured to provide an acoustic signal conveying information associated with internal respiratory sounds, wherein the acoustic sensor is a contact accelerometer configured to sense tissue vibration; a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium disposed within the enclosure, the storage medium being configured to store information and provide access to the stored information; and one or more processors disposed within the enclosure, the one or more processors being configured by computer program instructions to record onto the storage medium information conveyed by one or more signals including the acoustic signal, the information being analyzable to identify one or both of wheezing or coughing episodes. 
         [0059]    At an operation  604 , a therapeutic agent effective in ameliorating the pulmonary disease may be administered. Examples of the therapeutic agent may include one or more therapeutic agents effective in ameliorating one or more of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, bronchitis, restrictive lung disease, pneumonia, atalectasis, consolidation, and/or other pulmonary diseases. 
         [0060]    Although the present technology has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently considered to be the most practical and preferred implementations, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the technology is not limited to the disclosed implementations, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present technology contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any implementation can be combined with one or more features of any other implementation.