Cough detection, analysis, and communication platform

Abstract

A cough detection, analysis, and communication platform may be provided. The platform may comprise methods, systems, and a devices for detecting, analyzing, and communicating cough detection data. A cough detection device may comprise at least one microphone and analytic firmware used to employ methods of detecting, analyzing, and communicating the cough detection data. The analytic software may be updated to use the appropriate algorithms for an individual or corresponding demographic based on, for example, age and disease, with abnormal cough frequency components, abnormal cough frequency profiles, and alert thresholds. The cough detection device may be configured to communicate cough detection data to a server. The server, in turn, may be operative to process and communicate the data to a third party, such as, for example, a physician. Systems may further be operative to provide a user interface (e.g., mobile or web applications) for interfacing with the platform.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a cough detection device comprising:
 at least one sound sensor, 
 a first communications module, wherein the first communications module is configured for bi-directional communication with a mobile device, 
 a first memory storage, 
 a first processing unit associated with the at least one sound sensor, the first communications module, and the first memory storage, wherein the first processing unit is configured to:
 transition from a passive detection state to an active detection state, 
 receive a signal from the at least one sound sensor, 
 perform a first set of processing operations, wherein the first set of processing operations enable the cough detection device to:
 determine, upon detection of a cough within the received signal, whether cough data associated with the received signal meets a threshold requirement for transmitting the cough data to the mobile device, and 
 
 transmit, via the first communications module, to the mobile device, the cough data associated with the received signal upon a determination that the cough data has met the threshold requirement for transmission, wherein a transmission of the cough data comprises a transmission of a waveform associated with the detected cough, and 
 
 a housing for the at least one sound sensor, the memory storage, the first communications module, and the first processing unit, wherein the housing is designed to be worn by a user; and 
   the mobile device comprising:
 a second communications module, wherein the second communications module is configured for bi-directional communication with the cough detection device and a remote server, 
 a second memory storage, and 
 a second processing unit associated with the second communications module and the second memory storage, wherein the second processing unit is configured to:
 receive baseline data associated with at least one baseline waveform from the remote server, 
 receive, via the second communications module, the cough data, 
 perform a second set of processing operations, wherein the second set of processing operations enable the mobile device to:
 compare the received cough data to the at least one baseline waveform, and 
 determine whether to enable an alert to be triggered in accordance to at least one alert setting. 
 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the detection of the cough in the received signal by the cough detection device during a performance of the first set of processing operations comprises a detection of a cough consistent with a user profile of the user. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a comparison, by the mobile device, of the cough data to the at least one waveform comprises the comparison of the waveform associated with the detected cough to the at least one baseline waveform. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first processing unit is further operative to:
 initialize, within the active detection state, a timer set for a predetermined period of time; and   initialize a counter.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the first processing unit is further operative to increment the counter in response to the determination the signal received from the at least one sound sensor comprises the cough. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first processing unit being operative to transmit the cough data comprises the processing unit being operative to transmit the cough data upon a threshold count being exceeded by the counter and a threshold time being exceeded by the timer. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one alert setting corresponds to a determination that the comparison of the cough data to the at least one baseline waveform indicates an exacerbation event. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the remote server being configured to:
 receive the cough data from the mobile device; and 
 perform a third set of processing operations associated with the cough data. 
   
     
     
         9 . A method operable by a portable cough detection device comprising at least one microphone, comprising:
 detecting a sound exceeding a first threshold while the device is in a passive detection state;   in response to the detection, causing the device to enter into an active detection state to detect a cough, wherein entering the active detection state comprises initializing a counter and a timer set for a predetermined period of time; and   when the device is in the active detection state:
 determining whether the detected sound comprises a cough including comparing the detected sound with a baseline dataset associated with a user cough profile, 
 incrementing, in response to a determination that the detected sound comprises the cough, the counter, 
 determining whether the counter has been incremented past a second threshold within the predetermined period of time, and 
 transmitting, in response to a determination that the counter has been incremented past the second threshold within the predetermine period time, cough data associated with detected coughing, wherein transmitting the cough data comprises a transmission of a waveform associated with the detected cough. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising receiving cough detection instructions. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions comprise said baseline dataset, and said baseline dataset comprises at least data associated with a baseline waveform. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising resetting the timer and the counter after the transmission. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising receiving data from a server, the data received from the server being configured to adjust at least one of the following:
 the first threshold setting; and   the second threshold setting.   
     
     
         14 . A wearable cough detection device comprising:
 at least one microphone;   a communications module;   a memory storage; and   a processing unit associated with the microphone, the communications module, and the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to enter an active detection state to detect cough from a passive detection state.   
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein the processing unit is further operative to transmit, via the communications module, data associated with the received signal. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein establishing the baseline waveform comprises:
 receiving an initialization signal from the microphone; and   determining the baseline waveform based on the initialization signal.   
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein establishing the baseline waveform comprises receiving the baseline waveform via the communications module. 
     
     
         18 . A system comprising:
 a wearable cough detection device, the device including a transmitter configured to transmit the cough detection data to a server; and   a server in operative communication with the cough detection device, wherein the server comprises:
 a memory storage, and 
 a second processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the second processing unit is configured to: 
 receive the cough detection data, 
 associate the cough detection data with the user profile, 
 process the cough detection data, wherein the second processing unit being configured to process the cough detect data comprises the second processing unit being configured to:
 create at least one report associated with the cough detection data, and 
 issue an alert to a third party associated with the user profile, and 
 
 provide a user interface for the processed cough detection data, the user interface being accessible via at least one of the following:
 a mobile application, and 
 a web application. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18 , further comprising an intermediary device configured for bi-directional communication with the portable cough detection device to receive the cough detection data and provide data received from the server to the cough detection device.