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Remote monitoring of vital signs in infectious patients minimizes the risks of viral transmissions to healthcare professionals. Evidence indicates that donning face masks reduces the risk of viral transmissions and is now the norm in medical facilities. We propose attaching an acoustic-sensing device onto face masks to assist medical facilities in monitoring patients' respiration remotely. Usability and functionality studies of the modified face mask were evaluated on 16 healthy participants, who were blindfolded throughout the data collection. Around half of the participants noticed the difference between the modified and unmodified masks but they also reported there was no discomfort in using the modified mask. Respiratory rates of the participants were evaluated for one minute and the mean error of respiratory rate was found to be 2.0 +/- 1.3 breath per minute. As all participants were healthy, the wheeze detection algorithm was assessed by playing 176 wheezes and 176 normal breaths through a foam mannequin. The recordings were played at three different times to account for varying environmental noise. The overall accuracy of the wheeze detection algorithm was 91.9%. The current findings support and suggest the use of the mask attachment in medical facilities., Comment: Published on Inventions, 10 pages

With the growing number of mature wells globally, more integrity issues are arising, thus creating a need for diagnostic technologies. Aging wells can develop corrosion or mechanical failures, allowing unwanted communication. Existing technologies allow the identification of leak depths, but do not provide reliable information regarding radial location. A new acoustic array technology helps identify wellbore leaks by depth and radially. A description of the leak's flow pattern in and around the wellbore can also be obtained. Having a clearer picture of the location and leak type makes operational planning more efficient and helps prevent nonproductive time (NPT). Typically, noise tools have used a single hydrophone or a few sensors to capture noise measurements. An array of sensors can capture an acoustic event from multiple points simultaneously and uses this information to localize the leak. This measurement removes the high dependency on the frequency and magnitude alone to identify the location of a leak. During well testing, sound waves travel up and down the pipe and build standing waves in the pipe, giving a false echo of the leak location when just examining frequency and magnitude. The array negates these inaccuracies and accurately identifies the leak's vertical and radial location, even when frequency and magnitude alone show a different response. Operators have field tested a new acoustic array tool in aging wells. During this time, the tools were exposed to various leak conditions and problems. The array tools have shown value by identifying depth of communication and the radial location in the wellbore. The radial locater helped discern whether it was tubing, Annuli A, Aannuli B, or an outer casing issue. A unique flow map imaging technology provides a detailed picture of sound-related flow in and around the wellbore. The new acoustic array technology provides the ability to generate two-dimensional (2D) images of flow-generated noise, which can then be used to extract both leak-depth and radial location. This 2D image is structured to show the makeup of the wellbore and, through a spectrum of color, displays the high flow area where the leak is passing through the tubular section and traveling. The image also identifies where no flow is observed for easy identification of flowing annuli.