An evaluation of cough-generated sound and body surface vibration by the MEPIM Vibroacoustic System of Cough Registration (MEPIM VSCR)

Małgorzata Krajnik; Iwona Damps-Konstańska; Mieczysław Grabowski; Przemysław Pozański; Ewa Jassem

Vol 7, No 1 (2008)

Original articles

Published online: 2008-02-25

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An evaluation of cough-generated sound and body surface vibration by the MEPIM Vibroacoustic System of Cough Registration (MEPIM VSCR)

Małgorzata Krajnik, Iwona Damps-Konstańska, Mieczysław Grabowski, Przemysław Pozański, Ewa Jassem

Advances in Palliative Medicine 2008;7(1):3-8.

Vol 7, No 1 (2008)

Original articles

Published online: 2008-02-25

Abstract

Background. Cough is one of the most common symptoms in chronic pulmonary disease and cancer but we are still lacking a practical and accurate method for its objective evaluation. The aim of our experiment was to determine a new method of objective cough measurement using the time domain and a spectral analysis of body surface vibration and cough-generated sound.
Methods and Results. Our MEPIM Vibroacoustic System of Cough Registration is based on the simultaneous measuring of body surface vibration and generated sound. An acceleration sensor is fixed to the chest wall of the patient, while a microphone is positioned at a distance of 1 m. The analysis of sound and body surface vibration is carried out by a multianalyzer B&K Pulse. We introduced the FFT analysis of the frequency content of both signals and the measurement of the cross-correlation of sound and vibration signals.
Conclusions. The implementation of spectral analysis techniques may improve our abilities to define cough. Further clinical study should be conducted to answer the question of whether analysis of the frequency band might be useful for defining cough among other events.