WIRELESS ELECTRONIC STETHOSCOPE

• US 20140270218A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MedicusTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MedicusTek, Inc.
• Inventors: WANG, Chih-Hung Jason, TONG, Jonathan Lun-Chang, HSU, Chia-Ming, LIN, Chung-Chih, LIN, Chun, LIU, Ling-Hsuan, ANDERSON, Mark Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,265,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0418 Pen-shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R

Abstract

A wireless electronic stethoscope device is disclosed. The wireless electronic stethoscope device includes a pen-shaped main body; a sensor module for data collection; a processor module to coordinate operation of electronic stethoscope modules; a wireless communication module to transmit and receive digital and analog data; a power module including a battery for storing energy; a control module to communicate information and receive operational commands.

Claims

1. A wireless electronic stethoscope device, comprising:

a pen-shaped main body;

a sensor module for data collection;

a processor module to coordinate operation of electronic stethoscope modules;

a wireless communication module to transmit and receive digital and analog data;

a power module including a battery for storing energy; and

a control module to communicate information and receive operational commands.

2. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 1, wherein said sensor module includes a contact microphone, piezoelectric microphone, micro-electrical mechanical system microphone, electromagnetic microphone, or semiconductor process microphone.

3. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 1, wherein said processor module performs analog to digital electrical signal conversion, frequency range electrical signal filtering, or other digital signal processing operations on data provided by said sensor module.

4. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 1, wherein said control module comprises a plurality of buttons, switches, indicator lights, or other control interfaces.

5. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 1, wherein said control module includes a touch-sensitive display screen that also functions as a control mechanism to receive operational commands.

6. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 1, wherein said pen-shaped main body has an exterior clip.

7. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 1, wherein said control module includes an indicator which communicates to a user whether a current position of said sensor module on a patient'"'"'s body is sufficient to enable communication of an adequate data signal from said sensor module.

8. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 1, wherein said power module has a power saving mode of operation.

9. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 1, further comprising:

a detachable bell module, which, upon attachment to said main body, is disposed contiguous with said sensor module.

10. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 1, further comprising:

an audio module that transmits an audio signal to an electronic audio output jack.

11. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless receiver, comprising;

a processor module to coordinate operation of the wireless receiver modules;

a wireless communication module to transmit data to, and receive data from, the wireless communication module of the pen-shaped main body;

a power module including a battery for storing energy;

a control module to communicate information and receive operational commands; and

an audio module that transmits an audio signal to an electronic speaker or to an electronic audio output jack.

12. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 11, wherein said communication module of the pen-shaped main body can transmit and receive data to a plurality of wireless receivers.

13. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 12, wherein said control module of the pen-shaped main body enables the transmission of data to said plurality of wireless receivers using a single button.

14. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication module of the pen-shaped main body supports an electronic network data communication protocol.

15. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 14, further comprising a computer supporting communication via said electronic network data communication protocol.

16. The wireless electronic stethoscope device of claim 15, wherein said computer performs computational analysis of data received from said wireless communication module of the pen-shaped main body via said electronic network data communication protocol.

17. A method of detecting and transmitting body sounds wirelessly, comprising the steps of:

detecting body sounds through a detached wireless electronic stethoscope; and

transmitting said body sounds simultaneously to one or more receivers, wherein;

said body sounds can be stored and retrieved by one or more receivers;

or

said body sounds can be analyzed for screening or diagnostic purposes.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

said screening or diagnosis is conducted in a separate location from said detached wireless electronic stethoscope.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

said screening or diagnosis is conducted through the use of cloud computing.

20. A method of detecting and transmitting body sounds wirelessly, comprising the steps of:

detecting body sounds through a detached wireless electronic stethoscope; and

transmitting said body sounds simultaneously to one or more mobile computing devices.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

said body sounds can be stored and retrieved by one or more desktop or mobile computing devices;

or

said body sounds can be analyzed for screening or diagnostic purposes.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

said screening or diagnosis is conducted in a separate location from said detached wireless electronic stethoscope.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

said screening or diagnosis is conducted through the use of cloud computing.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein:

said screening or diagnosis is performed by an automated expert-system.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein:

said screening or diagnosis is performed for population-level analysis.