This document describes a system for determining positioning of an intubation tube in a patient. The system can include a first acoustic sensor configured to be disposed to listen to one of a lung and a stomach of the patient and to provide a first signal. The system includes a signal processing unit, coupled to the first acoustic sensor, configured to analyze spectral components of the first signal and determine whether a frequency of the spectral components of the first signal are characteristic of sounds induced by ventilation via the intubation tube of airflow to the lung or the stomach of the patient.

A swallowing action measurement device includes a holder, a sound detector and a posture detector. The holder is fitted to a neck region of a person being measured from behind. The sound detector is held in the holder in contact with the outer side surface of the neck region close to the epiglottis, and detects sound associated with at least a swallowing action of the person being measured and outputs a measured sound signal. The posture detector detects a posture of the person being measured.

Systems are provided which analyze the large intestine contents and utilize acoustic signals detected during delivery of water into the large intestine and drained large intestine contents to derive large intestine characteristics such as microbiotal analysis from at least two portions of the large intestine. Systems may include a water delivery unit including a water supply and a nozzle connected thereto, configured to introduce water controllably into a patient's large intestine, and an analysis unit that provides information about the drained contents using optical examination or biological assays. The information may be related to acoustic analysis of signals from acoustic sensors that are attachable to a patient's abdomen. A variety of sensor configurations, positioning options, analysis strategies and large intestine characteristics are presented.

An infant gastrointestinal monitor and a method for infant gastrointestinal monitoring are provided. The infant gastrointestinal monitor includes a belly band for placing around at least a midsection area of a subject infant. The infant gastrointestinal monitor further includes a plurality of wireless sound sensors, integrated with the belly band in an array configuration, for identifying a location of a gastrointestinal noise in the subject infant based on cross-referencing signals from the plurality of wireless sound sensors. He infant gastrointestinal monitor also includes a controller, operatively coupled to the plurality of wireless sound sensors, for analyzing the location and one or more other parameters of the gastrointestinal noise to identify a probable cause of the noise and a recommended action for a caregiver to alleviate an underlying condition causing the noise.

Devices and methods for predicting risk and likelihood of post-operative gastrointestinal impairment based on regression analysis of multiple spectral events related to intestinal sounds, with decreased or eliminated falsely elevated values of those events due to ambient noise.

Predicting gastrointestinal impairment may involve obtaining intestinal sounds of a patient to generate audio data, identifying predefined spectral events in the audio data that are predictive of subsequent gastrointestinal impairment, the spectral events being defined by predefined parameters, and predicting the likelihood of subsequent gastrointestinal impairment relative to the identified spectral events.

According to certain described aspects, multiple acoustic sensing elements are employed in a variety of beneficial ways to provide improved physiological monitoring, among other advantages. In various embodiments, sensing elements can be advantageously employed in a single sensor package, in multiple sensor packages, and at a variety of other strategic locations in the monitoring environment. According to other aspects, to compensate for skin elasticity and attachment variability, an acoustic sensor support is provided that includes one or more pressure equalization pathways. The pathways can provide an air-flow channel from the cavity defined by the sensing elements and frame to the ambient air pressure.

According to certain described aspects, multiple acoustic sensing elements are employed in a variety of beneficial ways to provide improved physiological monitoring, among other advantages. In various embodiments, sensing elements can be advantageously employed in a single sensor package, in multiple sensor packages, and at a variety of other strategic locations in the monitoring environment. According to other aspects, to compensate for skin elasticity and attachment variability, an acoustic sensor support is provided that includes one or more pressure equalization pathways. The pathways can provide an air-flow channel from the cavity defined by the sensing elements and frame to the ambient air pressure.

A video laryngoscope system includes an imager, an audio processing circuitry, a light source, an exposure controller, and a line gain module. The imager generates a first frame and a second frame of a plurality of video frames using a rolling shutter. The audio processing circuitry determines a base frequency of a vocalization based on an audio signal. The light source generates pulses of light based on the base frequency. The exposure controller adjusts a duration and position in time of the pulses based on the base frequency during the first and second frames. The line gain module selectively applies a line gain to at least a portion of the first frame and a portion of the second frame based on a gap time between the first frame and the second frame and the duration and position in time of the pulses.

A system, method, scope device, and camera control module device for a stroboscopic laryngoscope, to enable scopes able to operate with a rolling shutter-type image sensor. With selected pulsing of a strobe light, subset image data from adjacent rolling-shutter frames is selected, gain compensated for missing light and combined into a new single video frame.