Abstract: An amplitude detector has a phase shifter such as one using an analog differentiator and an adjustable gain stage, or one using a determinable delay, the phase shifter coupled to shift phase of an input signal to the amplitude detection apparatus. The detector also has a first analog multiplier coupled to square the input signal, a second analog multiplier coupled to square output of the phase shifter; and an analog adder coupled to sum outputs of the first and second analog multiplier. An automatic gain control circuit has the amplitude detector coupled to control gain of a controllable amplifier.

Abstract: A system adapted to assisting patients manage asthma includes a wearable sensor for detection of asthma symptoms and inhaler use, having a microphone capable of generating an electrical signal indicative of asthma symptoms or inhaler use; a processor with firmware adapted to process the electrical signal to determine potential asthma symptoms and inhaler use; and store the electrical signal in the memory when the electrical signal potentially corresponds asthma symptoms or inhaler use. In particular embodiments, the system includes an electronic asthma diary including detected asthma symptoms and detected inhaler usage, both with timestamps, and a prescribed treatment protocol. Protocol firmware processes detected asthma symptoms an inhaler usage recorded in the asthma diary to determine if asthma is controlled, and if asthma is not determined controlled determines if a treatment change is authorized; if treatment change is authorized the treatment change is displayed in human-readable form.

Abstract: A system adapted to assisting patients manage asthma includes a wearable sensor for detection of asthma symptoms and inhaler use, having a microphone capable of generating an electrical signal indicative of asthma symptoms or inhaler use; a processor with firmware adapted to process the electrical signal to determine potential asthma symptoms and inhaler use; and store the electrical signal in the memory when the electrical signal potentially corresponds asthma symptoms or inhaler use. In particular embodiments, the system includes an electronic asthma diary including detected asthma symptoms and detected inhaler usage, both with timestamps, and a prescribed treatment protocol. Protocol firmware processes detected asthma symptoms an inhaler usage recorded in the asthma diary to determine if asthma is controlled, and if asthma is not determined controlled determines if a treatment change is authorized; if treatment change is authorized the treatment change is displayed in human-readable form.

Abstract: A device for detecting and quantifying lung function includes a piezoelectric sensor configured for attachment to a mammalian chest wall and to feed signals to an ADC providing digitized signals to a processor. The processor firmware extracts inspiration and expiration times from the digitized signals and generates an I/E ratio from them. The processor has firmware to detect wheezing sounds in the signals. The device has an analog event detector configured to wake-up the processor upon detection of candidate wheeze sounds in the signals. In embodiments, the analog event detector includes bandpass filters coupled to a modeling circuit feeding a correlation circuit, the filters having bandpass adjusted by feedback from a circuit within the analog event detector. In an embodiment, the device uses an FFT with a gated recurrent unit (GRU) with partial reset (GRUPR) neural network to detect wheezes.

Abstract: A wearable device for detecting eating episodes uses a contact microphone to provide audio signals through an analog front end to an analog-to-digital converter to digitize the audio and provide digitized audio to a processor; and a processor configured with firmware in a memory to extract features from the digitized audio. A classifier determines eating episodes from the extracted features. In embodiments, messages describing the detected eating episodes are transmitted to a cell phone, insulin pump, or camera configured to record video of the wearer's mouth.

Abstract: An amplitude detector has a phase shifter such as one using an analog differentiator and an adjustable gain stage, or one using a determinable delay, the phase shifter coupled to shift phase of an input signal to the amplitude detection apparatus. The detector also has a first analog multiplier coupled to square the input signal, a second analog multiplier coupled to square output of the phase shifter; and an analog adder coupled to sum outputs of the first and second analog multiplier. An automatic gain control circuit has the amplitude detector coupled to control gain of a controllable amplifier.

Abstract: A system adapted to assisting patients manage asthma includes a wearable sensor for detection of asthma symptoms and inhaler use, having a microphone capable of generating an electrical signal indicative of asthma symptoms or inhaler use; a processor with firmware adapted to process the electrical signal to determine potential asthma symptoms and inhaler use; and store the electrical signal in the memory when the electrical signal potentially corresponds asthma symptoms or inhaler use. In particular embodiments, the system includes an electronic asthma diary including detected asthma symptoms and detected inhaler usage, both with timestamps, and a prescribed treatment protocol. Protocol firmware processes detected asthma symptoms an inhaler usage recorded in the asthma diary to determine if asthma is controlled, and if asthma is not determined controlled determines if a treatment change is authorized; if treatment change is authorized the treatment change is displayed in human-readable form.

Abstract: An acoustic object detector for detecting presence of an acoustic signal is provided. The acoustic object detector includes a number of bandpass filters. Each bandpass filter is configured to convert an input signal into an analog signal within a frequency band. The acoustic object detector also includes a number of spike generating circuits each coupled to the respective bandpass filter. Each spike generating circuit is configured to generate a series of spike signals based upon an adaptive threshold for the analog signal. The acoustic object detection further includes a decision circuit configured to generate a digital signal at a time-frequency point from the series of spike signals.

Abstract: A hearing prosthetic has microphones configured to receive audio with signal processing circuitry for reducing noise; apparatus configured to receive a signal derived from a neural interface, and to determine an interest signal when the user is interested in processed audio; and a transducer for providing processed audio to a user. The signal processing circuitry is controlled by the interest signal. In particular embodiments, the neural interface is electroencephalographic electrodes processed to detect a P300 interest signal, in other embodiments the interest signal is derived from a sensorimotor rhythm signal. In embodiments, the signal processing circuitry reduces noise by receiving sound from along a direction of focus, while rejecting sound from other directions; the direction of focus being set according to timing of the interest signal. In other embodiments, a sensorimotor rhythm signal is determined and binned, with direction of audio focus set according to amplitude.

Abstract: A hearing prosthetic has microphones configured to receive audio with signal processing circuitry for reducing noise; apparatus configured to receive a signal derived from a neural interface, and to determine an interest signal when the user is interested in processed audio; and a transducer for providing processed audio to a user. The signal processing circuitry is controlled by the interest signal. In particular embodiments, the neural interface is electroencephalographic electrodes processed to detect a P300 interest signal, in other embodiments the interest signal is derived from a sensorimotor rhythm signal. In embodiments, the signal processing circuitry reduces noise by receiving sound from along a direction of focus, while rejecting sound from other directions; the direction of focus being set according to timing of the interest signal. In other embodiments, a sensorimotor rhythm signal is determined and binned, with direction of audio focus set according to amplitude.

Abstract: An EEG monitoring device, contains at least one electrode, a non-linear analog signal processor, a variable resolution analog-to-digital converter, a storage, and a power source. The non-linear analog signal processor receives a signal from the at least one electrode and determines whether the signal is within a significant category. The variable resolution analog-to-digital converter converts signals received from the non-linear analog signal processor into high-resolution digital signals if the signals are within the significant category, and converts signals received from the non-linear analog signal processor at a low resolution if the signals are not within the significant category. The storage stores high-resolution digital signals received from the variable resolution analog-to-digital converter and the power source is connected to, and provides power to, the non-linear analog signal processor, the variable resolution analog-to-digital converter, and the storage.

Abstract: An acoustic object detector for detecting presence of an acoustic signal is provided. The acoustic object detector includes a number of bandpass filters. Each bandpass filter is configured to convert an input signal into an analog signal within a frequency band. The acoustic object detector also includes a number of spike generating circuits each coupled to the respective bandpass filter. Each spike generating circuit is configured to generate a series of spike signals based upon an adaptive threshold for the analog signal. The acoustic object detection further includes a decision circuit configured to generate a digital signal at a time-frequency point from the series of spike signals.

Abstract: An EEG monitoring device, contains at least one electrode, a non-linear analog signal processor, a variable resolution analog-to-digital converter, a storage, and a power source. The non-linear analog signal processor receives a signal from the at least one electrode and determines whether the signal is within a significant category. The variable resolution analog-to-digital converter converts signals received from the non-linear analog signal processor into high-resolution digital signals if the signals are within the significant category, and converts signals received from the non-linear analog signal processor at a low resolution if the signals are not within the significant category. The storage stores high-resolution digital signals received from the variable resolution analog-to-digital converter and the power source is connected to, and provides power to, the non-linear analog signal processor, the variable resolution analog-to-digital converter, and the storage.