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Apparatus and method for non-invasive diagnosing of coronary artery diseaseRelated Patent Categories: Surgery, Diagnostic Testing, Detecting Nuclear, Electromagnetic, Or Ultrasonic Radiation, UltrasonicApparatus and method for non-invasive diagnosing of coronary artery disease description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070167767, Apparatus and method for non-invasive diagnosing of coronary artery disease. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/830,719, filed Apr. 23, 2004, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Non-Invasive Diagnosing of Coronary Artery Disease," which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and made a part of this specification. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/830,719 claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/464,777 filed on Apr. 23, 2003 entitled "Coronary Artery Diagnostics Using Signal Characteristic Analysis (CADSCAN)". The disclosure of the above-identified provisional application is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention generally relates to coronary artery disease and more particularly to an apparatus and method for determining the severity and location of a stenosis in a coronary artery of a patient using non-invasive signal processing techniques. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Coronary artery disease generally refers to a build-up of cholesterol or plaque on the interior walls of the arteries of the heart. FIG. 1 is an illustration of an artery 10 having a layer of plaque 12 formed on the interior walls of the artery. This type of build-up of plaque 12 reduces the capacity of the affected arteries to carry blood thereby reducing the flow of blood through the arteries and the amount of blood delivered to the muscles the arteries supply. The plaque 12 can also weaken the walls of affected arteries. As shown in FIG. 2, a crack 14 may develop in the plaque 12 and cause a blood clot to form in an artery. Many heart attacks are caused by blood clots in the coronary arteries. [0004] Currently, angiograms are widely used to diagnose coronary artery disease. An angiogram is an invasive procedure that usually requires cardiac catheterization wherein a catheter is inserted into the blood vessel being examined. FIG. 3 shows a prior art catheter 16 shown inserted into a patient's 18 blood vessel 20 starting near the patient's groin and extending through the blood vessel and into the patient's heart 22. This type of catheterization process is normally necessary before angiogram and subsequent angioplasty procedures are conducted. Normally, attached to the end of the catheter are suitable sensors. In some cases, the sensors are active sensor heads, which emit a radio frequency signal of about 1 MHz and project it towards the heart. These sensor heads are often positioned close to a patient's heart. The projected signal is reflected off the arteries of the heart and can be used to determine an approximate location of an occlusion. An angioplasty is done by inserting a cleaning tool through the artery to remove an occlusion. In some cases, both the angiogram and the angioplasty processes are agonizing for the patient and can be dangerous or even fatal. [0005] When an obstruction occurs in an artery, the blood flow through the affected artery creates more turbulence than in an unobstructed artery. This turbulence normally generates high frequency sounds especially during the diastolic activity of the heart. High frequency bandwidth, spread spectrum signals that experience time and frequency scaling are difficult to decompose with narrow band analysis, such as Fourier transform, due to its sinusoidal kernel, which approximates the scaling effect with a Doppler shift. However, this type of high frequency signal represents an admissible kernel representation for using wavelet transform (WT) in appropriate signal processing algorithms. A wavelet transform analysis uses a more general analysis kernel, or mother wavelet. [0006] In "Wavelet Applications in Medicine" by Akay et. al, IEEE Spectrum, 1997 pages 50-56, there are described techniques used in signal processing for detection of coronary artery disease in healthy and unhealthy patients. Although such technology has been proposed as providing a reliable measurement, the technology has not been fully developed and the multiplicity of acoustic sensors proposed has represented a substantial impediment to widespread usage. [0007] Based on the foregoing, it is the general object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for diagnosing coronary artery disease that improves upon, or overcomes the problems and drawbacks associated with prior art methods and tools for diagnosing coronary artery disease. [0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel apparatus for detecting and determining the position of obstructions in a patient's coronary arteries. [0009] A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of detecting the location of and the severity of obstructions in the coronary arteries. [0010] It is also an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus, which can be readily available, and that is reliable and relatively inexpensive. [0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for detecting and determining the position of obstructions in a patient's coronary arteries, which may be constructed from readily available components at a reasonable cost to enable the widespread use thereof. [0012] A still further object of the present invention is to provide a non-invasive method of determining the location and the severity of obstructions in the coronary arteries. REFERENCES [0013] Metin Akay; "Wavelet Applications in Medicine", IEEE Spectrum, vol. 34, issue 5, pp 50-56, May 1997. [0014] Hemchandra Shertukde, "Hand-held device for non-invasive coronary artery diagnostics (NICAD)", sabbatical report, 2002. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0015] The present invention is directed to a non-invasive diagnostic tool for detecting an obstruction in a coronary artery. The diagnostic tool includes a signal processor adapted to receive signals corresponding to a heart beat from a plurality of acoustic sensors attached to the chest of a patient. The signal processor is programmed to identify a diastolic portion of the signals for a plurality of heartbeats and to analyze the diastolic portion of the signals to determine the location of an obstruction in a coronary artery and the severity thereof. The diagnostic tool includes a display coupled to the signal processor for displaying data indicative of the results of the diagnosis. A user interface is coupled to the signal processor for providing user control of the diagnostic tool. In one embodiment, the diagnostic tool of the present invention is a portable hand-held device that is attachable to a plurality of acoustic sensors. [0016] The diagnostic tool includes an analog to digital converter coupled to the signal processor and is adapted to receive signals from the acoustic sensors and process the signals including at least one of digitizing, synchronizing and multiplexing the signals, and to transmit the processed signals to the signal processor. The signal processor is programmed to conduct a wavelet transform on the signals. The wavelet transform provides time domain and frequency analysis on the signals for determining the location and severity of an occlusion in a patient's coronary arteries. [0017] The present invention also provides a method for detecting an obstruction in a coronary artery of a patient having a plurality of acoustic sensors attached to his/her chest. The method receiving a signal from each of a plurality of acoustic sensors attached to the chest of a patient at known locations. The signals represent a plurality of heart beats of the patient. A threshold amplitude frequency range is established for identifying the signals to be evaluated. The signals are processed for determining the existence of, as well as the severity of an obstruction in a coronary artery. The method further includes a step of determining a location of the obstruction relative to the location of one of the acoustic sensors. [0018] The step of processing includes amplifying, digitizing, synchronizing and multiplexing the signals for further processing. The processing further includes identifying a diastolic portion of the signals and the existence of a triggering pulse in the diastolic portion exceeding an established threshold amplitude that is within a predetermined frequency range. A triggering pulse vibration that exceeds the threshold amplitude indicates the existence of an occlusion in one of the coronary arteries. [0019] The processing step further includes conducting a wavelet transform analysis on various combinations of the signals received from the acoustic sensors. The wavelet transform analysis provides time delay and frequency analysis of the signals for calculating translational delay parameters and scale parameters between any two of the signals. The translational delay parameters and the scale parameters are used to estimate the time delay.sub.s for the triggering pulse heart sounds detected at the sensors. The time delay.sub.s are then evaluated to determine the location of the occlusion in one of the coronary arteries. A value of the translation and scale parameters where the sum of the wavelet coefficient function is a maximum is identified and used to determine the severity of the occlusion. 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