Research Project
2031533
DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from the applicant's abstract) Listening to lung sounds (auscultation) is used in the diagnosis of pulmonary problems. Although X-rays and pulmonary function test are normally used as well, neither is adequate by itself for diagnosing all types of lung diseases. There is recent evidence that differences in lung sounds among common pulmonary conditions allow good predictions of diagnostic categories. The application of high-resolution acoustic analytical techniques to develop methods for the remote monitoring of lung function by analyzing breath sounds through a computerized telephone network could make detection and more frequent assessment of pulmonary problems more convenient and more affordable. The goal of the proposed research is to develop a clinically useful system on a common desktop personal computer. This Phase I proposal addresses (1) wavelet based processing techniques to provide enhancements in auscultation for diagnosing lung diseases, data compression and storage, and automatic detection of adventitious sounds by a single system; and (2) a preliminary design study for a remote monitoring system based on transmission of lung sounds between computers on a telephone network. The affordable nature of such a system makes it suitable for widespread use. The system would find commercial application in hospitals, clinics, schools and industrial sites, and doctors' offices.
