Stethoscope capable of eliminating unwanted sounds and method thereof

• US 20070154023A1
• Filed: 06/08/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Tseng, Kuo-Hua, Chou, Yu-Kon, Kuo, Tsung-Ter, Chou, Wen-Yang, Su, Mao-Shun, Shieh, Pei-Ying
• Granted Patent: US 8,121,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R

Abstract

A stethoscope capable of eliminating unwanted sounds and method thereof, the stethoscope and method thereof mainly use a stethoscope head containing a sensor and a signal processing circuit. By way of detecting and judging whether the stethoscope head arrives on correct stethoscopic position by the sensor, unwanted sounds generating by frictions, translations, or collisions during the stethoscopic process can be effectively eliminated such that the stethoscopic quality can be improved. Thus, a doctor can use less time and spirit to make a correct diagnosis for a patient with least unwanted interference sounds.

Claims

1. A stethoscope capable of eliminating unwanted sounds, comprising:

a stethoscope head, further comprising;

a microphone, for gathering an auscultatory sound; and

a sensor, for detecting and determining whether the stethoscope head is located at a specific position for an auscultatory process to be performed;

a signal processing circuit, connected to the stethoscope head for processing the received auscultatory sound, further comprising;

an operational amplifier with recording circuit, for amplifying the auscultatory sound;

a low-pass filter, for filtering out unwanted sounds from the auscultatory sound;

an accentuator, for emphasizing the characteristics of the frequency band of the auscultatory sound; and

a micro processor, for controlling the operations of the operational amplifier with recording circuit, the low-pass filter, the accentuator, the sensor, and the microphone while connecting thereto;

and

a headset, connected to the signal processing circuit, for transmitting the auscultatory sound processed thereby to a physician to be employed in an auscultatory process;

wherein, the micro processor is polling the detection of the sensor actively at any time for using the result of the detection to control the starting/stopping of the gathering of the auscultatory sound by the microphone.

2. The stethoscope of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an angular velocity sensor capable of detecting an angular variation measured between a specific position where the auscultatory process is performed and a planar surface where the sensor is placed, while comparing the detected angular variation with a threshold value to determine whether the stethoscope head is located at the specific position of the auscultatory process.

3. The stethoscope of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an angle sensor capable of detecting an inclination angle measured between a planar surface where the sensor is placed and a reference position, while comparing the detected angle with a threshold value to determine whether the stethoscope head is located at the specific position of the auscultatory process.

4. The stethoscope of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor capable of detecting a pressure difference between the pressure measured at a specific position where the auscultatory process is performed and that at a planar surface where the sensor is placed, while comparing the pressure difference with a threshold value to determine whether the stethoscope head is located at the specific position of the auscultatory process.

5. The stethoscope of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor further comprising:

a light emitter, for discharging a light beam;

a light receiver, for receiving the light beam while being positioned at a location corresponding to that of the light emitter;

a light grating, sandwiched between the light emitter and the light receiver, for controlling the propagation of the light beam; and

a roller, connected to the light grating while being sandwiched between the light emitter and the light receiver,

while, the optical sensor being enabled to measure a variation of continuity as it is detecting the propagating of the light beam passing through the light grating, for using the measured variation of continuity to determine whether the stethoscope head is located at the specific position of the auscultatory process.

6. The stethoscope of claim 1, wherein the auscultatory sound is generated by biological activity of an organ of a patient selected from the group consisting of the heart, the lung and the bowel.

7. The stethoscope of claim 2, wherein the auscultatory sound is generated by biological activity of an organ of a patient selected from the group consisting of the heart, the lung and the bowel.

8. The stethoscope of claim 3, wherein the auscultatory sound is generated by biological activity of an organ of a patient selected from the group consisting of the heart, the lung and the bowel.

9. The stethoscope of claim 4, wherein the auscultatory sound is generated by biological activity of an organ of a patient selected from the group consisting of the heart, the lung and the bowel.

10. The stethoscope of claim 5, wherein the auscultatory sound is generated by biological activity of an organ of a patient selected from the group consisting of the heart, the lung and the bowel.

11. A stethoscopic method capable of eliminating unwanted sounds, comprising steps of:

activating a stethoscope;

utilizing a sensor of the stethoscope to detect and determine whether a stethoscope head is located at the specific position for an auscultatory process to be performed;

stopping the gathering of an auscultatory sound while enabling a micro processor to keep on pulling the detection result of the sensor as the stethoscope head is determined to be not located at the specific position of the auscultatory process;

starting the gathering of the auscultatory sound as the stethoscope head is determined to be located at the specific position of the auscultatory process; and

proceeding the auscultatory process.

12. The stethoscopic method of claim 11, wherein the sensor is an angular velocity sensor capable of detecting an angular variation measured between a planar surface where the sensor is placed and a planar surface where the sensor is placed, while comparing the detected angular variation with a threshold value to determine whether the stethoscope head is located at the specific position of the auscultatory process.

13. The stethoscopic method of claim 11, wherein the sensor is an angle sensor capable of detecting an inclination angle measured between a specific position where the auscultatory process is performed and a reference position, while comparing the detected angle with a threshold value to determine whether the stethoscope head is located at the specific position of the auscultatory process.

14. The stethoscopic method of claim 11, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor capable of detecting a pressure difference between the pressure measured at a specific position where the auscultatory process is performed and that at a planar surface where the sensor is placed, while comparing the pressure difference with a threshold value to determine whether the stethoscope head is located at the specific position of the auscultatory process.

15. The stethoscopic method of claim 11, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor capable of measure a variation of continuity as it is detecting the propagating of a light beam passing through a light grating, while using the measured variation of continuity to determine whether the stethoscope head is located at the specific position of the auscultatory process.

16. The stethoscopic method of claim 11, wherein the auscultatory sound is generated by biological activity of an organ of a patient selected from the group consisting of the heart, the lung and the bowel.

17. The stethoscopic method of claim 12, wherein the auscultatory sound is generated by biological activity of an organ of a patient selected from the group consisting of the heart, the lung and the bowel.

18. The stethoscopic method of claim 13, wherein the auscultatory sound is generated by biological activity of an organ of a patient selected from the group consisting of the heart, the lung and the bowel.

19. The stethoscopic method of claim 14, wherein the auscultatory sound is generated by biological activity of an organ of a patient selected from the group consisting of the heart, the lung and the bowel.

20. The stethoscopic method of claim 15, wherein the auscultatory sound is generated by biological activity of an organ of a patient selected from the group consisting of the heart, the lung and the bowel.