Systems, devices, and methods for capturing and outputting data regarding a bodily characteristic

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods are provided for capturing and outputting data regarding a bodily characteristic. In one embodiment, a hardware device can operate as a stethoscope with sensors to detect bodily characteristics such as heart sounds, lung sounds, abdominal sounds, and other bodily sounds and other characteristics such as temperature and ultrasound. The stethoscope can be configured to work independently with built solid state memory or SIM card. The stethoscope can be configured to pair via a wireless communication protocol with one or more electronic devices, and upon pairing with the electronic device(s), can be registered in a network resident in the cloud and can thereby create a network of users of like stethoscopes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical system, comprising:
 a stethoscope that includes a distal portion having a surface configured to contact a body of a subject, and a proximal head configured to move relative to the distal portion to selectively start a sensor sensing body sounds of the subject and stop the sensor from sensing the body sounds; and   a display coupled to the stethoscope and configured to show a graphical representation of the sensed body sounds in real time with the gathering of the signals.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display is on the proximal head. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the proximal head is removably and replaceably coupled to the distal portion. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the proximal head is configured to be removably and replaceably docked to a wearable electronic device following removal of the proximal head from the distal portion. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the proximal head is non-removably coupled to the distal portion. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display is on an electronic device that is external to and separate from the stethoscope. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the body sounds include at least one of heart sounds and lung sounds. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a processor configured to cause the display to show the graphical representation in response to the sensing of the body sounds. 
     
     
         9 . A method, comprising:
 receiving at a network-connected device data indicative of body sounds of a subject sensed by an electronic stethoscope in real time with the body sounds being sensed by the electronic stethoscope; and   causing the network-connected device to provide an output detectable to a user of the network-connected device, the output being indicative of the received data, and the output being provided in real time with the body sounds being sensed by the electronic stethoscope.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein providing the output includes displaying information indicative of the received data on a display of the network-connected device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein providing the output includes at least one of the network-connected device vibrating, the network-connected device emitting audio, and a light of the network-connected device illuminating. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the electronic stethoscope provides an output to a user of the electronic stethoscope indicative of the body sounds being sensed by the electronic stethoscope, the output of the electronic stethoscope including at least one of vibration of the electronic stethoscope and illumination of one or more lights on the electronic stethoscope. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the output of the network-connected device is the same as the output of the electronic stethoscope. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the network-connected device includes a plurality of network-connected devices such that each of the plurality of network-connected devices provides real time output. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the network-connected device includes an application downloaded thereto over a network, the application controlling the receiving of the data and the providing of the output. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the network-connected device includes one of a phone, a headset, a watch, a tablet, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, and a server. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the network-connected device includes a second electronic stethoscope. 
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 electronically linking a first electronic stethoscope to a second electronic stethoscope;   gathering at the first electronic stethoscope raw data signals representative of body sounds of a subject;   outputting at the first electronic stethoscope a first output that includes at least one of an audio output, a haptic output, and an illuminated output, the first output being indicative of the gathered signals, and the outputting at the first electronic stethoscope occurring in real time with the gathering;   transmitting the gathered signals from the first electronic stethoscope to the second electronic stethoscope; and   outputting at the second electronic stethoscope a second output that includes at least one of an audio output, a haptic output, and an illuminated output, the second output being indicative of the gathered signals, and the outputting at the second electronic stethoscope occurring in real time with the gathering.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first output includes at least two of the audio output, the haptic output, and the illuminated output. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first output includes all of the audio output, the haptic output, and the illuminated output. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the body sounds include at least one of heart sounds and lung sounds. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second output is identical to the first output. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising analyzing the gathered signals to determine whether a possible anomaly exists in the body sounds of the patient;
 wherein, when it is determined that a possible anomaly exists, the first output is indicative of the possible anomaly.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising pairing the first electronic stethoscope to a first external electronic device, the first external electronic device displaying on a first display thereof first information indicative of the gathered signals, and the displaying on the first display occurring in real time with the gathering. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising pairing the second electronic stethoscope to a second external electronic device, the second external electronic device displaying on a second display thereof second information indicative of the gathered signals, and the displaying on the second display occurring in real time with the gathering.