Differential apneic detection in aid of diagnosis and treatment
A computer-based detection method employable with a sleeping subject for aiding in the differential-character diagnosis and treatments of apneic events includes gathering heart-sound data, including S 1 data and S 2 data. A combined time-frequency-intensity (TFI) analysis, of the gathered data is performed, in a continuous manner, over a selected time period. Based on the performing and the performed TFI analysis, an output is produced which is indicative of the presence and character of any detected apneic event.
1. A computer-based detection and data-processing method employable with a sleeping subject for aiding in the differential-character assessment of apneic events comprising
using a data-collection device attached to a sleeping subject, gathering simultaneously from that subject both (a) heart-sound, and related and included snoring-episode data, and (b) ECG data, relevant specifically to differential apneic detection,
supplying the collected data to a computer for processing,
performing in the computer, with respect to the gathered and supplied heart-sound, and related and included snoring-episode, data, time-frequency-intensity (TFI) analysis and wavelet-based filtering, and
based on said performing, computer-producing time-based graphical output information which, on a common time-base in relation to ECG-waveform information, is indicative (a) of the presence and differential character of any gathered-data-detected apneic event, (b) whether snoring has occurred, and (c) whether only snoring, without an apneic event, has occurred.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said computer-producing further includes creating a graphical output indication which is specifically indicative of snoring.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said wavelet-based filtering includes computer-generating a time-frequency-intensity scalogram.