Apparatus and method for breathing pattern determination using a non-contact microphone
A method is provided for analyzing respiration of a subject ( 20 ). Using a non-contact microphone ( 22 ), a raw signal indicative of airflow sounds of the respiration is generated. The raw signal is analyzed to determine a first set of one or more parameters of the respiration. An algorithm is applied to the first set of parameters to derive a second set of one or more estimated parameters of the respiration that are not generally directly measurable in the raw signal. Other embodiments are also described.
1. A method for modifying naturally-occurring multi-phase biorhythmic activity of a subject, the method comprising:
detecting, using a sensor, a signal indicative of the multi-phase biorhythmic activity;
analyzing, using a control unit, the signal to determine one or more parameters of a filter;
filtering, using the control unit, background noise from the signal using the filter having the parameters;
at least in part responsively to the filtered signal, determining, using the control unit, a stimulus input which is operative to change at least one aspect of the biorhythmic activity of the subject; and
providing the stimulus input to the subject, using a stimulator,
wherein the multi-phase biorhythmic activity includes respiration of the subject, and wherein detecting the signal comprises detecting the signal indicative of the respiration.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein filtering the background noise comprises frequency filtering the signal.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein filtering the background noise comprises performing non-frequency spectral analysis on the signal in order to classify the signal according to one or more variables.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the background noise is indicative of secondary biorhythmic activity different from the multi-phase biorhythmic activity, and wherein filtering the background noise from the signal comprises filtering the secondary biorhythmic activity-related background noise from the signal.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the background noise includes a heartbeat-related component of the signal, and wherein filtering the background noise from the signal comprises filtering the heartbeat-related component from the signal.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein filtering the background noise comprises removing non-frequency-related noise from the signal.
7. A method for modifying naturally-occurring multi-phase biorhythmic activity of a subject, the method comprising:
detecting, using a sensor, a signal indicative of the multi-phase biorhythmic activity;
analyzing, using a control unit, the signal to determine one or more parameters of a filter;
filtering, using the control unit, background noise from the signal using the filter having the parameters;
at least in part responsively to the filtered signal, determining, using the control unit, a stimulus input which is operative to change at least one aspect of the biorhythmic activity of the subject; and
providing the stimulus input to the subject, using a stimulator,
wherein filtering the background noise comprises performing spectral analysis on the signal to produce a frequency spectrum.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein performing the spectral analysis comprises frequency filtering the frequency spectrum.
9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the non-frequency-related noise includes a heartbeat-related component of the signal, and wherein removing the non-frequency-related noise comprises removing the heartbeat-related component of the signal from the signal.
10. Apparatus for modifying naturally-occurring multi-phase biorhythmic activity of a subject, the apparatus comprising:
a sensor, adapted to detect a signal indicative of the multi-phase biorhythmic activity;
a control unit, adapted to:
analyze the signal to determine one or more parameters of a filter,
filter background noise from the signal using the filter having the parameters, and
at least in part responsively to the filtered signal, determine a stimulus input which is operative to change at least one aspect of the biorhythmic activity of the subject; and
a stimulator, adapted to provide the stimulus input to the subject,
wherein the multi-phase biorhythmic activity includes respiration of the subject, and wherein the sensor is adapted to detect the signal indicative of the respiration.
11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit is adapted to filter the background noise by frequency filtering the signal.
12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit is adapted to filter the background noise by performing non-frequency spectral analysis on the signal in order to classify the signal according to one or more variables.
13. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the background noise is indicative of secondary biorhythmic activity different from the multi-phase biorhythmic activity, and wherein the control unit is adapted to filter the secondary biorhythmic activity-related background noise from the signal.
14. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the background noise includes a heartbeat-related component of the signal, and wherein the control unit is adapted to filter the heartbeat-related component from the signal.
15. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit is adapted to filter the background noise by removing non-frequency-related noise from the signal.
16. Apparatus for modifying naturally-occurring multi-phase biorhythmic activity of a subject, the apparatus comprising:
a sensor, adapted to detect a signal indicative of the multi-phase biorhythmic activity;
a control unit, adapted to:
analyze the signal to determine one or more parameters of a filter,
filter background noise from the signal using the filter having the parameters, and
at least in part responsively to the filtered signal, determine a stimulus input which is operative to change at least one aspect of the biorhythmic activity of the subject; and
a stimulator, adapted to provide the stimulus input to the subject,
wherein the control unit is adapted to filter the background noise by performing spectral analysis on the signal to produce a frequency spectrum.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the control unit is adapted to frequency filter the frequency spectrum.
18. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the non-frequency-related noise includes a heartbeat-related component of the signal, and wherein the control unit is adapted to remove the heartbeat-related component of the signal from the signal.