Electronic catheter stethoscope

Abstract

An electronic catheter stethoscope measures and analyzes acoustic fields and dynamic pressure variations in the gaseous or liquid fluid inside a conventional medical catheter that is positioned in a patient's urologic, digestive, reproductive, cardiovascular, neurological or pulmonary system. Measurement transducers are installed in a housing connectable to multiple preselected medical catheters. The transducers detect bodily functions that are transmitted to the preselected catheter from within the body. The transducers, housing, electrical interface and signal processing electronics are positioned outside the body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for measurement and analysis of bodily functions using an electronic catheter stethoscope configured to connect to a plurality of types of catheters, comprising the steps of:
 connecting a housing of said electronic catheter stethoscope to a proximal end of a medical catheter selected from said plurality of types of catheters;   inserting a distal end of said medical catheter into a patient's body while maintaining said proximal end and said housing outside the patient's body, wherein an interior of said medical catheter is in fluid communication with bodily fluids in said patient's body;   said housing enclosing at least one transducer therewithin so that said at least one transducer is in communication with said interior of said medical catheter of said medical catheter and thus also in fluid communication with said bodily fluids in said patient's body,   said at least one transducer sensing an acoustic field, a pressure, or a combination thereof of gaseous or liquid fluids within said medical catheter;   purging said gaseous or liquid fluids from said medical catheter from said housing through said valve;   monitoring acoustic fields and pressure variations of said gaseous or liquid fluids within said medical catheter due to said bodily functions affecting said bodily fluids within said patient, wherein said gaseous or liquid fluids within said medical catheter are affected by changes in said bodily fluids within said patient's body and wherein said gaseous or liquid fluids within said medical catheter may include said bodily fluids as well depending on the bodily function being measured and analyzed;   providing a data acquisition system for conditioning, amplifying and converting analog measurement signals generated by said at least one transducer to digital signals;   positioning said data acquisition system externally of said housing; and   providing electrical communication between said at least one transducer and said data acquisition system and said at least one transducer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 mounting a Luer-type connector on a distal end of said housing;   opening an additional valve mounted on said proximal end of said catheter by employing said Luer-type connector to connect said housing to said proximal end of said medical catheter; and   filling or purging said housing and medical catheter with said gaseous or liquid fluids when said additional valve mounted on said proximal end of said catheter is opened by said Luer-type connector.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said valve is a fill/purge valve, the method further comprising introducing said gaseous or liquid fluids from said medical catheter into said housing through said purge/fill valve. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 mounting a membrane within said housing to shield said at least one transducer from said gaseous or liquid fluids within said medical catheter while allowing passage of acoustic and pressure variations and disturbances in the blood flow.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 covering said housing with sound absorbing materials to shield said housing from ambient noise.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 actively cancelling ambient noise by employing at least one external microphone in combination with said at least one transducer; and   actively cancelling extraneous body noises or pressure fluctuations by employing at least one acoustic or at least one pressure measurement transducer positioned externally on a patient's body in combination with said at least one transducer.   
     
     
         7 . A method for measurement and analysis of bodily functions using an electronic catheter stethoscope configured to connect to a plurality of types of catheters, comprising the steps of:
 connecting a housing of said electronic catheter stethoscope to a proximal end of a medical catheter selected from said plurality of types of catheters;   inserting a distal end of said medical catheter into a patient's body while maintaining said proximal end and said housing outside the patient's body, wherein an interior of said medical catheter is in fluid communication with bodily fluids in said patient's body;   said housing enclosing a first transducer and a second transducer therewithin so that said first and second transducers are in communication with said interior of said medical catheter and thus jointly in fluid communication with said bodily fluids in said patient's body;   monitoring acoustic fields and pressure variations of said gaseous or liquid fluids within the medical catheter due to said bodily functions affecting said bodily fluids within said patient, wherein said gaseous or liquid fluids within said catheter are affected by changes in said bodily fluids within said patient's body and wherein said gaseous or liquid fluids within said catheter may include said bodily fluids as well depending on the bodily function being measured and analyzed;   providing a data acquisition system for conditioning, amplifying and converting analog measurement signals generated by said at least one transducer to digital signals; and   providing electrical communication between said data acquisition system and said first and second transducers.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said first transducer sensing an acoustic field of gaseous or liquid fluids within said catheter, said second transducer sensing pressure of said gaseous or liquid fluids within said catheter. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of:
 mounting a Luer-type connector on a distal end of said housing;   opening a valve mounted on said proximal end of said catheter by employing said Luer-type connector to connect said housing to said proximal end of said medical catheter.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:
 mounting a purge/fill valve on said housing so that said gaseous or liquid fluids from said medical catheter may be introduced into or purged from said housing.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of:
 mounting a membrane within said housing to shield said first and second transducers from said gaseous or liquid fluids within said medical catheter while allowing passage of acoustic and pressure variations and disturbances in the blood flow.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a data analysis system;   connecting said data analysis system to said data acquisition system for processing digital measurement signals and for removing and isolating extraneous noises; and   processing said digital measurement signals with said data acquisition system to monitor and analyze said bodily functions.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of:
 covering said housing with sound absorbing materials to shield it from ambient noise.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of:
 actively cancelling ambient noise by employing at least one external microphone in combination with said first and second transducers; and   actively cancelling extraneous body noises or pressure fluctuations by employing at least one acoustic or at least one pressure measurement transducer positioned externally on a patient's body in combination with said first transducer or said second transducer.   
     
     
         15 . An electronic catheter stethoscope configured to connect to a plurality of types of catheters for measurement and analysis of bodily functions, comprising:
 a housing connected to a proximal end of a medical catheter selected from said plurality of types of catheters, wherein a distal end of said medical catheter is inserted into a patient's body while maintaining said proximal end and said housing outside the patient's body, wherein an interior of said medical catheter is in fluid communication with bodily fluids in said patient's body;   a first transducer enclosed within said housing;   a second transducer enclosed within said housing,   wherein said first and second transducers are in communication with said interior of said medical catheter and thus jointly in fluid communication with said bodily fluids in said patient's body;   wherein said first and second transducers monitor acoustic fields and pressure variations of said gaseous or liquid fluids within the medical catheter, wherein said first transducer senses an acoustic field of gaseous or liquid fluids within said catheter and said second transducer senses pressure of said gaseous or liquid fluids within said catheter,   wherein said gaseous or liquid fluids within said catheter are affected by changes in said bodily fluids within said patient's body and wherein said gaseous or liquid fluids within said catheter may include said bodily fluids as well depending on the bodily function being measured and analyzed; and   a data acquisition system in electrical communication with said first and second transducers for conditioning, amplifying, and converting analog measurement signals generated by first and second transducers to digital signals.   
     
     
         16 . The electronic catheter stethoscope of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a Luer-type connector mounted on a distal end of said housing;   a valve mounted on said proximal end of said catheter, wherein said valve is opened by employing said Luer-type connector to connect said housing to said proximal end of said medical catheter.   
     
     
         17 . The electronic catheter stethoscope of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a purge/fill valve mounted on said housing so that said gaseous or liquid fluids from said medical catheter may be introduced into or purged from said housing through said purge/fill valve.   
     
     
         18 . The electronic catheter stethoscope of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a membrane mounted within said housing to shield said first and second transducers from said gaseous or liquid fluids within said medical catheter while allowing passage of acoustic and pressure variations and disturbances in the blood flow.   
     
     
         19 . The electronic catheter stethoscope of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 sound absorbing materials covering said housing to shield it from ambient noise.   
     
     
         20 . The electronic catheter stethoscope of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 at least one external microphone in combination with said first and second transducers to actively cancel ambient noise; and   at least one acoustic measurement transducer or at least one pressure measurement transducer positioned externally on said patient's body for actively cancelling extraneous body noises or pressure fluctuations in combination with said first transducer or said second transducer.