It is an object to provide a device for estimating a plurality of mental/nervous system diseases by the voice analysis, the device being capable of estimating either major depression or bipolar disorder. Furthermore, there are provided an estimation device including an extraction means for extracting an acoustic feature amount that is not affected by a location where voices are acquired, and a method for operating the estimation device.

It is an object to provide a device for estimating a plurality of mental/nervous system diseases by the voice analysis, the device being capable of estimating either major depression or bipolar disorder. Furthermore, there are provided an estimation device including an extraction means for extracting an acoustic feature amount that is not affected by a location where voices are acquired, and a method for operating the estimation device.

A self-auscultation device and method of using the self-auscultation device to listen to a target anatomy is described. The self-auscultation device includes a chest piece to receive a listening device, such as an earphone. The listening device is mounted in the chest piece to detect a sound from the target anatomy, through the chest piece. The listening device can operate in a self-auscultation mode to adapt the listening device to generate audio data corresponding to the detected sound. An equalization filter can be applied to the audio data to compensate for a frequency response of the listening device. A data processing system can compare the audio data to predetermined auscultation data to determine a health condition of the target anatomy. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

A self-auscultation device and method of using the self-auscultation device to listen to a target anatomy is described. The self-auscultation device includes a chest piece to receive a listening device, such as an earphone. The listening device is mounted in the chest piece to detect a sound from the target anatomy, through the chest piece. The listening device can operate in a self-auscultation mode to adapt the listening device to generate audio data corresponding to the detected sound. An equalization filter can be applied to the audio data to compensate for a frequency response of the listening device. A data processing system can compare the audio data to predetermined auscultation data to determine a health condition of the target anatomy. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

A method for medical diagnosis includes recording voice signals due to sounds spoken by a patient and recording acoustic signals output, simultaneously with the voice signals, by an acoustic transducer in contact with a thorax of the patient. A transfer function is computed between the recorded voice signals and the recorded acoustic signals or between the recorded acoustic signals and the recorded voice signals. The computed transfer function is evaluated in order to assess a medical condition of the patient.

A method for medical diagnosis includes recording voice signals due to sounds spoken by a patient and recording acoustic signals output, simultaneously with the voice signals, by an acoustic transducer in contact with a thorax of the patient. A transfer function is computed between the recorded voice signals and the recorded acoustic signals or between the recorded acoustic signals and the recorded voice signals. The computed transfer function is evaluated in order to assess a medical condition of the patient.

Systems and methods for objective assessment of patient response for calibration of therapeutic interventions are pro-vided. Analysis of a human patient's speech provides an objective measurement for pain or discomfort experienced by a patient. This speech analysis can then be used to provide personalized therapeutic interventions which more effectively address the needs of the patient. The speech analysis provides not only a personalized initial intervention, but in the case of ongoing interventions the speech analysis can further refine the intervention as a patient's response changes over time.

Systems and methods for objective assessment of patient response for calibration of therapeutic interventions are pro-vided. Analysis of a human patient's speech provides an objective measurement for pain or discomfort experienced by a patient. This speech analysis can then be used to provide personalized therapeutic interventions which more effectively address the needs of the patient. The speech analysis provides not only a personalized initial intervention, but in the case of ongoing interventions the speech analysis can further refine the intervention as a patient's response changes over time.

A user, such as an elderly person, may be assisted by an assistance device in his or her caregiving environment that operates in conjunction with one or more server computers. The assistance device may execute a schedule of assistance actions where each assistance action is associated with a time and is executed at that time to assist the user. An assistance action may present an input request to a user, process a voice input of the user, and analyze the voice input to determine that the voice input corresponds to a negative response event, a positive response event, or a non-response event. Based on the categorization of one or more voice inputs as negative response events, positive response events, or non-response events, it may be determined to notify a caregiver of the user, for example where the user has not responded to a number of assistance actions.

A user, such as an elderly person, may be assisted by an assistance device in his or her caregiving environment that operates in conjunction with one or more server computers. The assistance device may execute a schedule of assistance actions where each assistance action is associated with a time and is executed at that time to assist the user. An assistance action may present an input request to a user, process a voice input of the user, and analyze the voice input to determine that the voice input corresponds to a negative response event, a positive response event, or a non-response event. Based on the categorization of one or more voice inputs as negative response events, positive response events, or non-response events, it may be determined to notify a caregiver of the user, for example where the user has not responded to a number of assistance actions.