JP7518357B2 - Auscultation system, stethoscope, and method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an auscultation system, a stethoscope, and a method.

Among stethoscopes, there are so-called electronic stethoscopes that electronically pick up sounds such as heart sounds using sensors such as microphones, amplify the picked up sounds, and allow doctors and others to listen to the amplified sounds (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The sounds picked up by the electronic stethoscope may be subjected to, for example, frequency analysis. Patent Document 2 states the following: "When making a diagnosis using a stethoscope in remote medical treatment using a videophone or the like, the patient touches the stethoscope, which has a chest piece with a built-in microphone, to his or her own body, and the microphone converts heart sounds and the like into electrical signals, which are then transmitted to a remote doctor via communication. However, patients are not accustomed to using stethoscopes, and the chest piece may not be in proper contact with the body surface. In such cases, with conventional stethoscopes, it is very difficult for a doctor to judge whether the chest piece is in contact with the body by looking at the visual information from the remote image, and there is a risk of a misdiagnosis due to the chest piece not being in proper contact with the body surface."

JP 2004-242849 A International Publication No. 2017/159752

In addition to the issues described in Patent Document 2 above, in remote medical care (treatment) and home medical care, when a general user (patient) uses a stethoscope to collect heart sounds, etc., it is not easy to bring the stethoscope into contact (align) with the appropriate position on the body, making it difficult to collect stable auscultatory sounds.

The object of the present invention is to provide a means for easily and stably obtaining auscultatory sounds.

The auscultation system of the first invention comprises a first sensor arranged at approximately the center of the contact surface for collecting auscultatory sounds, a plurality of second sensors arranged around the first sensor on the contact surface for collecting auscultatory sounds, an alarm unit, and a control unit, and is characterized in that the control unit determines the direction of the auscultatory sounds to be collected based on the auscultatory sounds from the first sensor and the auscultatory sounds from the second sensor, and notifies the determined direction of the auscultatory sounds via the alarm unit.

In the present invention, the control unit determines the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected based on the auscultatory sound from the first sensor and the auscultatory sound from the second sensor, and notifies the determined direction of the auscultatory sound via the notification unit. This allows the user to move the stethoscope in the notified direction and collect the auscultatory sound to be collected, making it possible to easily collect stable auscultatory sounds.

The auscultation system of the second invention is the auscultation system of the first invention, characterized in that the control unit distinguishes the sensor that picked up the auscultation sound closest to the auscultation sound to be picked up from among the auscultation sounds picked up by the first sensor and the second sensor.

The auscultation system of the third invention is the auscultation system of the second invention, characterized in that, when the sensor that has been determined to have collected the auscultation sound closest to the auscultation sound to be collected is the second sensor, the control unit notifies the direction of the second sensor that has been determined.

The auscultation system of the fourth invention is the auscultation system of the second or third invention, characterized in that the control unit determines the direction of the auscultation sound to be collected until the sensor that has determined that it has collected the auscultation sound closest to the auscultation sound to be collected becomes the first sensor, and reports the determined direction of the auscultation sound by the reporting unit.

The auscultation system of the fifth invention is the auscultation system of the fourth invention, characterized in that when the sensor that has been determined to have collected the auscultation sound closest to the auscultation sound to be collected is the first sensor, the control unit starts acquiring the auscultation sound using the first sensor.

The auscultation system of the sixth invention is the auscultation system of the fourth or fifth invention, characterized in that when the sensor that has been determined to have collected the auscultation sound closest to the auscultation sound to be collected is the first sensor, the control unit uses the second sensor for noise cancellation.

The seventh invention is an auscultation system according to any one of the second to sixth inventions, characterized in that the control unit distinguishes the sensor that picked up the auscultation sound with the largest volume among the auscultation sounds made by the first sensor and the second sensor as the sensor that picked up the auscultation sound closest to the auscultation sound to be picked up.

The auscultation system of the eighth invention is the auscultation system of any one of the second to sixth inventions, characterized in that the control unit distinguishes the sensor that picked up the auscultation sound closest to the waveform of the auscultation sound to be picked up from among the auscultation sounds picked up by the first sensor and the second sensor as the sensor that picked up the auscultation sound closest to the auscultation sound to be picked up.

The auscultation system of the ninth invention is characterized in that in the auscultation system of the eighth invention, the waveform of the auscultation sound to be collected is obtained by machine learning.

The auscultation system of the tenth invention is characterized in that in the auscultation system of the eighth invention, the waveform of the auscultation sound to be collected is a waveform based on the auscultation sound of the user whose auscultation sound is to be collected.

The auscultation system of the eleventh invention is characterized in that in the auscultation system of the eighth invention, the waveform of the auscultation sound to be collected is a waveform learned based on the auscultation sound of the user whose auscultation sound is to be collected.

The auscultation system of the twelfth invention is characterized in that in the auscultation system of the eighth invention, the waveform of the auscultation sound to be collected is a waveform of auscultation sound that has common characteristics among multiple people.

The auscultation system of the thirteenth invention is characterized in that in the auscultation system of the eighth invention, the waveform of the auscultation sound to be collected is a waveform that has been learned based on the auscultation sounds of multiple people.

The auscultation system of the fourteenth invention is characterized in that in the auscultation system of the third invention, the waveform of the auscultation sound to be collected is an abnormal waveform.

The auscultation system of the fifteenth invention is the auscultation system of any one of the first to fourteenth inventions, characterized in that the first sensor and the second sensor are each composed of a diaphragm and a piezoelectric element attached to the diaphragm.

The auscultation system of the 16th invention is the auscultation system of any one of the first to 14th inventions, characterized in that the first sensor and the second sensor each include a diaphragm and a microphone.

The auscultation system of the seventeenth invention is the auscultation system of any one of the first to fourteenth inventions, characterized in that the first sensor and the second sensor are each a microphone.

The auscultation system of the 18th invention is the auscultation system of any one of the first to 17th inventions, characterized in that the notification unit is a display screen of an electronic device.

The auscultation system of the 19th invention is the auscultation system of any one of the first to seventeenth inventions, characterized in that the notification unit is composed of a plurality of light-emitting elements.

The stethoscope of the twentieth invention comprises a first sensor arranged at approximately the center of the contact surface for collecting auscultatory sounds, a plurality of second sensors arranged around the first sensor on the contact surface for collecting auscultatory sounds, an alarm unit, and a control unit, and is characterized in that the control unit determines the direction of the auscultatory sounds to be collected based on the auscultatory sounds from the first sensor and the auscultatory sounds from the second sensor, and notifies the determined direction of the auscultatory sounds via the alarm unit.

The method of the 21st invention is characterized in that the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected is determined based on the auscultatory sound from a first sensor and the auscultatory sounds from a plurality of second sensors arranged around the first sensor, and the determined direction of the auscultatory sound is notified.

The present invention makes it possible to easily obtain stable auscultatory sounds.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a stethoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the bottom side. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a stethoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a heart sound waveform. 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating an example of an actual waveform, STFT data, and energy trend data. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of energy trend data. 1A is a diagram for explaining clipping of a waveform, and FIG. 1B is a diagram after signal processing. FIG. 1C is a diagram for explaining classification and learning by machine learning. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining determination of similarity. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a case where a determination cannot be made due to an abnormal waveform. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining confirmation of similarity to typical abnormal heart sounds. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display screen of a smartphone. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of the auscultation system. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of the auscultation system. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of the auscultation system.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention. The auscultation system according to the embodiment of the present invention is composed of, for example, a stethoscope and a smartphone. In the auscultation system, auscultation sounds collected by the stethoscope are transmitted to the smartphone, and the smartphone performs analysis of the auscultation sounds. Note that the auscultation system may be composed of only a stethoscope. Also, the device that performs analysis of the auscultation sounds does not have to be a smartphone, and may be a dedicated device, etc.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a stethoscope 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the bottom. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a stethoscope 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the top. As shown in the figure, the stethoscope 1 has a shape that combines, for example, a substantially cylindrical lower part 2 and a substantially cylindrical upper part 3 that is located above the lower part 2 and has a smaller diameter than the lower part 2.

The lower surface 2a of the stethoscope 1 (lower part 2) is the contact surface with the human body from which auscultatory sounds are collected. A sensor 4 (first sensor) is disposed approximately in the center of the contact surface 2a, and multiple sensors 5 (second sensors) are disposed around the sensor 4. The sensors 4 and 5 are for collecting auscultatory sounds. In FIG. 1, four sensors are shown as the multiple sensors 5, but the number of sensors 5 is not limited to four.

Each of the sensors 4 and 5 is composed of, for example, a diaphragm and a piezoelectric element attached to the diaphragm. Also, each of the sensors 4 and 5 is composed of, for example, a diaphragm and a microphone. Also, each of the sensors 4 and 5 is, for example, a microphone. Note that the sensors 4 and 5 are not limited to the above configuration, and may be composed of a combination of sensors with the above configuration. The auscultatory sounds collected by the sensors 4 and 5 are transmitted to a smartphone.

The upper surface 2b of the lower part 2 serves as a mounting surface on which multiple LEDs 6 (light-emitting elements) are attached. The multiple LEDs 6 function as a notification unit that notifies the user of the direction in which the stethoscope 1 should be moved (the direction of the auscultatory sounds to be collected). Note that, although LEDs 6 are exemplified here as light-emitting elements, this is not limiting. The multiple LEDs 6 are evenly arranged in a circular pattern on the mounting surface 2b. In FIG. 2, of the five LEDs 6 shown, the middle LED 6 is emitting light, and the direction of the emitting LED 6 is the direction in which the user should move the stethoscope 1 (the direction of the auscultatory sounds to be collected).

The smartphone is equipped with a control unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Note that the processes described below are basically executed by the control unit, but in processes such as "the control unit does...", the wording "the control unit" may be omitted. The control unit of the smartphone determines the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected based on the auscultatory sound from sensor 4 and the auscultatory sound from sensor 5 transmitted from stethoscope 1. At this time, the control unit determines which sensor, out of the auscultatory sounds from sensor 4 and sensor 5, collected the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected.

For example, normally, the control unit distinguishes the sensor that has collected the auscultatory sound with the largest volume (amplitude) among the auscultatory sounds produced by sensors 4 and 5 as the sensor that has collected the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected. Hereinafter, the mode in which the sensor that has collected the auscultatory sound with the largest volume among the auscultatory sounds produced by sensors 4 and 5 as the sensor that has collected the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected (the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected) is also referred to as the "normal mode". Also, for example, as an option, the control unit distinguishes the sensor that has collected the auscultatory sound closest to the waveform of the auscultatory sound to be collected among the auscultatory sounds produced by sensors 4 and 5 as the sensor that has collected the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected. Hereinafter, the mode in which the sensor that has collected the auscultatory sound closest to the waveform of the auscultatory sound to be collected among the auscultatory sounds produced by sensors 4 and 5 as the sensor that has collected the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected (the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected) is also referred to as the "option mode". For example, the waveform of the auscultatory sounds to be collected is obtained through machine learning.

In the "option mode", the waveform of the auscultatory sound to be collected is, for example, the waveform of an individual's auscultatory sound (e.g., heart sound) that has been learned in advance. If the auscultatory sound is abnormal for some reason, the control unit compares it with a previously learned abnormal auscultatory sound waveform (typical abnormal waveform), and if there is a match, it determines that the direction in which the sound can be picked up with maximum sensitivity is the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected. On the other hand, if there is no similarity to the previously learned abnormal auscultatory sound waveform, the control unit determines that the direction of the sensor that picked up the auscultatory sound with the greatest volume is the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected. At this time, the control unit sets an abnormality flag and records the auscultatory sound.

Next, we will explain the method for incorporating auscultatory sounds into machine learning. The following steps are used to synchronize heart sounds (auscultatory sounds) and grasp the intervals, extract the target heart sounds, and compare them using machine learning.

(1) The heart sound waveform is collected by a sensor. Figure 3 shows an example of the heart sound waveform.
(2) The effective value of the waveform or the energy (sum or root mean square) of all frequencies after STFT (Short-time Fourier transform) is added to generate energy trend data showing the transition of amplitude versus time. Fig. 4 shows an example of the real waveform, STFFT data, and energy trend data. Fig. 4 shows the real waveform, STFT data, and energy trend data in the areas of the dashed line and the dashed dotted line in Fig. 3.
(3) Mark the peaks of the energy trend data, and obtain the time position of heartbeat synchronization and the heartbeat period T from the interval between the marks. Figure 5 shows an example of energy trend data. In the figure, the heart sounds collected from the sensor are shown, and a large peak can be confirmed for the first sound.
(4) For the section where the period was measured, the heart sound waveform is cut out with a time of 1/2 the period T before and after the peak. Figure 6(a) is a diagram for explaining how the waveform is cut out.
(5) The heart sounds in the cut out sections are acquired as training data or test data in the form of FFT (Fast Fourier transform), MFCC (Mel-Frequency Cepstrum Coefficients), or the waveform itself. Figure 6(b) shows the diagram after signal processing.
(6) When determining the similarity of unknown data, a learning model is created by loading known learning data (learning model) in advance in (5). Figure 7(c) shows a diagram for explaining classification and learning by machine learning. Machine learning algorithms include, but are not limited to, SVM, KNN, etc.
(7) The learning model inputs data from each unknown sensor and determines which sensor has a high degree of similarity. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining how to determine the degree of similarity.
(8) Among the multiple sensors, the direction of the sensor that has picked up the most similar signal is determined to be the direction of the auscultatory sound to be picked up.
(9) If there is no similarity in either case, an abnormality is suspected and similarity is confirmed using a learning model of abnormal heart sound waveforms. If there is similarity, the direction in which the sound can be obtained to the maximum extent is determined to be the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected.
(10) If there is no similarity between the desired waveform and the abnormal waveform, the direction of the maximum volume is determined to be the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected.

The above-mentioned optional mode has a function for comparing past auscultatory sound data and abnormal auscultatory sounds (e.g., heart sounds). Note that, in this embodiment, the normal mode and the optional mode are described, but the system may be configured with only the normal mode.

To execute the optional mode, the learned auscultation data is stored in a separate database. The direction of the auscultation sound to be collected is repeatedly determined by comparing and gauging the similarity between the device's own past data and typical waveforms, until the relevant sound is heard by the sensor located approximately in the center. However, if the heart sounds have changed from the learned data due to an abnormality, etc., it will no longer be possible to make a determination. Figure 9 shows an example of a case where a determination cannot be made due to an abnormal waveform.

If a judgment cannot be made, a check is made to see if there is a sensor that has picked up auscultatory sounds similar to typical abnormal waveforms, and if not, the system switches to the normal mode described above. Figure 10 shows a diagram for explaining how to check the similarity to typical abnormal heart sounds.

If it is determined to resemble a typical abnormal waveform, it captures the abnormal sound. At this time, of the five sensors, the sensor that has collected the sound most similar to the typical abnormal sound is detected, and the determination is repeated until a typical abnormal sound is collected by the sensor located approximately in the center. In addition, when capturing abnormal sounds, a timeout function is provided, and if a sound cannot be captured for a long period of time, an error is displayed. However, if a waveform similar to an abnormal sound is found even once, an abnormality flag is raised and the user is notified. This makes it possible to keep a record of only the abnormal sound being found, despite failure to capture the waveform.

When the sensor that has been determined to have collected the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected is sensor 5, the control unit notifies the direction of the determined sensor 5 as the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display screen of a smartphone. The display screen of the smartphone (electronic device) functions as a notification unit that notifies the user of the direction in which the stethoscope 1 should be moved (the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected). For example, in FIG. 3, four arrows are displayed, and the four arrows notify the user of the direction in which the stethoscope 1 should be moved. In FIG. 3, the right-facing arrow is filled in, and the right direction is notified as the direction in which the user should move the stethoscope 1. Note that in FIG. 3, the direction in which the user should move the stethoscope 1 is notified by four arrows, but the number of arrows (directions) is not limited to four (four directions). In addition, the direction in which the user should move the stethoscope 1 may be notified by something other than an arrow.

In this embodiment, the multiple LEDs 6 and the display screen of the smartphone function as a notification unit that notifies the user of the direction in which the stethoscope 1 should be moved, but only one of them may be used. Furthermore, when the auscultation system is composed of only the stethoscope 1, the stethoscope 1 is provided with a control unit such as a CPU, and the control unit notifies the user of the direction in which the stethoscope 1 should be moved by the multiple LEDs 6. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the direction in which the user should move the stethoscope 1 is notified by a "display," but the direction in which the user should move the stethoscope 1 may also be notified by a "sound."

The control unit determines the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected until the sensor that has determined that it has collected the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected is sensor 4, and notifies the determined direction of the auscultatory sound. When the control unit determines that the sensor that has collected the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected is sensor 4, the control unit starts acquiring the auscultatory sound using sensor 4, as stethoscope 1 is now in a position where it should collect the auscultatory sound. At this time, the control unit uses sensor 5 for noise cancellation.

The processing operation of the auscultation system will be described below based on the flowcharts shown in Figures 12 to 14. The control unit starts a scan time-up timer to display an error message or the like if the auscultatory sounds that should be collected cannot be collected within the time limit (S1). Next, the control unit determines whether the normal mode has priority, that is, whether the normal mode or the option mode has priority (S2). If the control unit determines that the normal mode has priority (S2: Yes), it acquires auscultatory sounds from sensors 4 and 5 (S3). Next, the control unit calculates the direction of the maximum sound (S4). Next, the control unit reports the direction of the maximum sound (S5).

Next, the control unit acquires auscultatory sounds from sensors 4 and 5 (S6). Next, the control unit determines whether sensor 4 located approximately in the center has picked up the loudest sound (S7). If the control unit determines that sensor 4 located approximately in the center has not picked up the loudest sound (S7: No), it checks the timer (S8). Next, the control unit determines whether the timer has timed out (S9). If the control unit determines that the timer has timed out (S9: Yes), it displays an error message indicating that the auscultatory sounds that should have been picked up could not be picked up within the time limit (S10). If the control unit determines that the timer has not timed out (S9: No), it executes the process of S3.

When the control unit determines that the normal mode is not a priority, i.e., that the option mode is a priority (S2: No), it acquires auscultatory sounds from sensors 4 and 5 (S11). Next, the control unit recognizes the waveforms of the auscultatory sounds collected by sensors 4 and 5 (S12). Next, the control unit determines whether or not there is one or more sensors that collected a waveform that matches a typical abnormal waveform among the waveforms of the auscultatory sounds collected by sensors 4 and 5 (S13). Here, a "typical abnormal waveform" is not a waveform that is specific to an individual, but rather, for example, a waveform that has common characteristics that are considered to be abnormal in multiple people.

When the control unit determines that none of the auscultatory sound waveforms collected by sensors 4 and 5 have collected a waveform that matches a typical abnormal waveform (S13: No), it determines whether or not there is any sensor that has collected auscultatory sound waveforms that are similar to the waveform of the auscultatory sound to be collected (S14). Here, the "waveform of the auscultatory sound to be collected" is the auscultatory sound waveform of the user whose auscultatory sound is to be collected, which has been previously learned as training data, or a typical auscultatory sound waveform (for example, a waveform of auscultatory sound with common characteristics among multiple people).

When the control unit determines that there is no sensor that has collected a waveform of auscultatory sounds similar to the waveform of the auscultatory sounds to be collected among the waveforms of the auscultatory sounds collected by the sensors 4 and 5 (S14: Yes), the control unit proceeds to the process of S3 to transition to normal mode. On the other hand, when the control unit determines that there is a sensor that has collected a waveform of auscultatory sounds similar to the waveform of the auscultatory sounds to be collected among the waveforms of the auscultatory sounds collected by the sensors 4 and 5 (S14: No), the control unit determines the sensor that collected the auscultatory sounds that most closely match the waveform of the auscultatory sounds to be collected (S15). Next, the control unit notifies the direction of the determined sensor (S16). Next, the control unit acquires the auscultatory sounds from the sensors 4 and 5 (S17). Next, the control unit determines whether the sensor that collected the auscultatory sounds that most closely match the waveform of the auscultatory sounds to be collected is sensor 4, which is located approximately in the center (S18).

If the control unit determines that the sensor that collected the auscultatory sound that best matches the waveform of the auscultatory sound to be collected is not sensor 4 located approximately in the center (S18: No), it checks the timer (S19). Next, the control unit determines whether the timer has timed out (S20). If the control unit determines that the timer has timed out (S20: Yes), it displays an error message indicating that the auscultatory sound to be collected could not be collected within the time limit (S10). If the control unit determines that the timer has not timed out (S20: No), it executes the process of S15.

When the control unit determines that one or more of the auscultatory sound waveforms collected by the sensors 4 and 5 have a waveform that matches a typical abnormal waveform (S13: Yes), the control unit checks the similarity between the auscultatory sound waveforms collected by the sensors 4 and 5 and the abnormal waveform determined by machine learning (S21) so that the abnormal sound is collected by the sensor 4 located approximately in the center. Next, the control unit notifies the direction in which the abnormal waveform is maximum (S22). Next, the control unit acquires the auscultatory sounds from the sensors 4 and 5 (S23). Next, the control unit determines whether the waveform of the auscultatory sound collected by the sensor 4 located approximately in the center is the most compatible with the abnormal waveform (S24).

When the control unit determines that the waveform of the auscultatory sounds collected by the sensor 4 located approximately in the center is the least compatible with the abnormal waveform (S24: No), it checks the timer (S25). Next, the control unit determines whether the timer has timed out (S26). When the control unit determines that the timer has timed out (S26: Yes), it sets an abnormality flag (S27) and displays an error message such as that the auscultatory sounds that should have been collected within the time limit could not be collected (S10). When the control unit determines that the timer has not timed out (S26: No), it acquires the auscultatory sounds from the sensors 4 and 5 (S28) and executes the process of S15.

If the control unit determines that the waveform of the auscultatory sound collected by the sensor 4 located approximately in the center is most consistent with an abnormal waveform (S24: Yes), it sets an abnormality flag (S29).

If the control unit determines that the sensor 4 located approximately in the center has picked up the loudest sound (S7: Yes), or if it determines that the sensor that picked up the auscultatory sound that most closely matches the waveform of the auscultatory sound to be picked up is the sensor 4 located approximately in the center (S18: Yes), or after processing S29, it starts acquiring auscultatory sounds using the sensor 4 (S31).

As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit determines the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected based on the auscultatory sound from sensor 4 and the auscultatory sound from sensor 5, and notifies the user of the determined direction of the auscultatory sound. This allows the user to move the stethoscope 1 in the notified direction and collect the auscultatory sound to be collected, making it possible to easily collect stable auscultatory sounds.

The above-mentioned "waveform of the auscultatory sound to be collected" is, for example, as follows:
(1) A waveform based on the auscultatory sounds of a user whose auscultatory sounds are collected. Specifically, a waveform learned based on the auscultatory sounds of a user whose auscultatory sounds are collected. (2) A waveform of auscultatory sounds having common characteristics among multiple people. Specifically, a waveform learned based on the auscultatory sounds of multiple people.
(3) The waveform of the auscultatory sound to be collected is abnormal.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the forms to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and as exemplified below, appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

In the above-described embodiment, when the sensor that has been determined to have collected the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected is sensor 5, the control unit notifies the direction of the determined sensor 5 as the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected, but this is not limited thereto, and the control unit may be configured to notify a direction other than that of sensor 5 as the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected. For example, when adjacent sensors 5 have collected the same auscultatory sound, the control unit may be configured to notify the direction of the midpoint between the adjacent sensors 5.

The present invention can be suitably used in auscultation systems, stethoscopes, and methods.

1 Stethoscope 2 Lower part 2a Contact surface 2b Mounting surface 3 Upper part 4 Sensor (first sensor)
5 Sensor (Second Sensor)
6. LED (light emitting element)

Claims (6)

a first sensor disposed on the contact surface for collecting auscultatory sounds;
a second sensor disposed around the first sensor for collecting auscultatory sounds;
A notification department;
A control unit,
The control unit is
discriminating the sensor that picked up the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be picked up from among the auscultatory sounds picked up by the first sensor and the second sensor;
An auscultation system characterized in that when the sensor determined to have collected the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected is the second sensor, the direction of the second sensor determined is notified by the notification unit . The auscultation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit determines the direction of the auscultatory sound to be collected until the sensor that has determined that it has collected the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected becomes the first sensor, and notifies the determined direction of the auscultatory sound by the notification unit. The auscultation system according to claim 2, characterized in that when the sensor that has been determined to have collected an auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected is the first sensor, the control unit starts acquiring the auscultatory sound using the first sensor. The auscultation system according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that when the sensor that has been determined to have collected an auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected is the first sensor, the control unit uses the second sensor for noise cancellation. a first sensor disposed at approximately the center of the contact surface for collecting auscultatory sounds;
a plurality of second sensors arranged around the first sensor for collecting auscultatory sounds;
A notification department;
A control unit,
The control unit is
discriminating the sensor that picked up the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be picked up from among the auscultatory sounds picked up by the first sensor and the second sensor;
A stethoscope characterized in that, when the sensor determined to have collected the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected is the second sensor, the direction of the second sensor determined is notified by the notification unit . determining a sensor that has picked up an auscultatory sound that is closest to the auscultatory sound to be picked up from among the auscultatory sound picked up by the first sensor and the auscultatory sounds picked up by a plurality of second sensors arranged around the first sensor;
A method characterized in that, when the sensor determined to have collected the auscultatory sound closest to the auscultatory sound to be collected is the second sensor, the direction of the second sensor determined to have collected the auscultatory sound is notified.

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