Systems, devices, and methods for facilitating diagnosis of sleep respiratory issues and/or delivering therapy for sleep respiratory issues are provided. According to one embodiment, an electronic ear device may be used to provide an effective and more sleep conducive method for positional sleep therapy. For example, positional therapy may be implemented through audible notifications delivered through the ear device to reduce symptoms of positional sleep respiratory issues. A positional sensor within the ear device allows the ear device to recognize when a user of the ear device is out of their programmed sleep position. The sleeper can then be notified through a speaker in the ear device to adjust themselves to a more optimal sleep position for reduced snoring and/or sleep obstruction. The ear device may alternatively or additionally capture user sleep data to facilitate diagnosis of a sleep respiratory issue by a medical professional.

A lung sound analysis system includes an acquisition means for acquiring time-series acoustic signals including lung sounds of a subject who is a heart failure patient, a determination means for determining a pause phase of breathing of the subject, a dividing means for dividing the time-series acoustic signals into those in a period of the pause phase of the subject and those in a period other than the pause phase, according to a result of the determination, a calculation means for calculating an index value representing the quality of the time-series acoustic signals in the period other than the pause phase, from the intensity of the time-series acoustic signals in the period of the pause phase and the intensity of the time-series acoustic signals in the period other than the pause phase after the division, and a warning means for giving warning based on the calculated index value.

A kit for dispensing disposable stethoscope covers and other instrument covers is provided. The kit may include a cartridge and a dispenser for automatic touch-free dispensing of disposable stethoscope covers. The kit further includes a first spool having a roll of backing member with disposable stethoscope covers disposed thereon and a second spool for receiving the spent backing member after a disposable stethoscope cover has been removed, self-contained within the cartridge. The cartridge is inserted within the dispenser so that a user may insert a stethoscope head through a window of the dispenser to attach to a disposable stethoscope cover. Alternatively, the cartridge or cassette may be comprised of disposable instrument covers so that a user may insert the instrument near or through the window of the dispenser for application of the instrument cover directly to the instrument. The kit may further include a proximity sensor for detecting a user.

Systems and methods for assessing compliance with position therapy. In an embodiment, position therapy is provided to a user while the user is wearing a position therapy device. The position therapy comprises, by the device, collecting positional data, determining positions of the user over a time period based on the positional data, and, when it is determined that the user is in a target position, providing feedback to the user to influence the user to change to a non-target position. In addition, the device stores a duration of use in its memory. The duration of use indicates a duration that the user has used the wearable position therapy device in each of one or more positions. An assessment of the user's compliance with the position therapy is then provided based, at least in part, on the duration of use.

A monitoring apparatus is provided. A strip includes a first end section, a second end section opposite the first end section, and a midsection between the first end section and the second end section, and further includes a first surface and a second surface. An adhesive covers a portion of the first surface of the strip. Only two electrocardiographic electrodes are included. A flexible circuit is mounted to the second surface of the strip. An accelerometer, a respiratory sensor, and a wireless transceiver are provided on the second surface of the strip. A processor is positioned over a portion of the flexible circuit and coupled to the electrodes and the wireless transceiver.

Disclosed herein are breathing disorder identification, characterization and diagnosis methods, devices and systems. In general the disclosed methods, devices and systems may rely on the characterization of breath sound amplitudes, periodic breath sounds and/or aperiodic breath sounds to characterize a breathing disorder as obstructive (e.g. obstructive sleep apnea—OSA) or non-obstructive (e.g. central sleep apnea—CSA).

An ambulatory medical device is provided. The ambulatory medical device includes at least one sensor configured to acquire data descriptive of a patient, a memory, a user interface, and at least one processor coupled with the memory, the at least one sensor, and the user interface. The at least one processor is configured to determine whether the ambulatory medical device is within a predefined range of a reference location and to initiate location-specific processing in response to determining that the ambulatory medical device is within the predefined range. The location-specific processing includes at least one of issuing a notification and adapting the user interface.

A detected sound signal may comprise speech or non-verbal sounds, and many non-verbal sounds contain health information. If the speech, or a non-verbal sound containing health information, was produced by an enrolled user, data relating to the sound can be stored in a storage element. A system also comprises a data modification block, for obfuscating received data to provide an obfuscated version of the stored data. The system then has a first access mechanism, for controlling access to the stored data such that only an authorised user can obtain access to said stored data, and a second access mechanism, for controlling access to said stored data such the second access mechanism only provides access to the obfuscated version of the stored data.

A detected sound signal may comprise speech or non-verbal sounds, and many non-verbal sounds contain health information. If the speech, or a non-verbal sound containing health information, was produced by an enrolled user, data relating to the sound can be stored in a storage element. A system also comprises a data modification block, for obfuscating received data to provide an obfuscated version of the stored data. The system then has a first access mechanism, for controlling access to the stored data such that only an authorised user can obtain access to said stored data, and a second access mechanism, for controlling access to said stored data such the second access mechanism only provides access to the obfuscated version of the stored data.

A device for in-ear use is provided. The device includes an in-ear fixture configured to seal an ear canal of a user, an internal microphone coupled to receive an internal acoustic signal, propagating through the ear canal of the user, an external microphone coupled to receive an external acoustic signal, propagating through an environment of the user, and a processor that is coupled to an augmented reality headset, the processor configured to identify a vital sign of the user based on at least one of the internal acoustic signal and the external acoustic signal. A memory storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause a method for use of the above device to identify a vital sign of a user, the memory, the processor, and the method are also provided.