Vascular sound detector

• US 4,141,350 A
• Filed: 09/10/1976
• Issued: 02/27/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Colin Electronics Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nippon Colin Company Limited
• Inventors: Shinoda, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Michell, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US05/722,122
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2 K, 128/2.05 A, 128/2.05 C, 128/2.05 E, 128/2.05 M, 128/2.05 P, 128/2.05 S, 179/1 ST, 181/131, 181/135, 181/137
• US Class Current: 600/493
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02233 Occluders specially adapted therefor tourniquets A61B17/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/045 Detection of Korotkoff sounds A61B5/0225 takes precedence; measuring blood pressure A61B5/021

Abstract

Blood vessel or vascular sound collecting device (hereinafter simply referred to as sound detector) insertable in a manschette or cuff for collecting the blood vessel sound and supplying the data to an automatic sphygmomanometer, having a hollow unitary space of substantially rectangular shape in plan view, enveloped by a flexible inner side wall of substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and a rather thicker and less flexible outer side shell of substantially rectangular shape in plan view, with an elongated rib integrally formed therewith for preventing the hollow space from being squashed, and a highly sensitive microphone exposed in the hollow space for sound collecting, which sound detector has a fine aperture with diameter to prevent same from picking up noises and being affected by the fluctuation of internal air pressure.

Claims

1. A vascular sound detector for insertion into a blood pressure measuring manchette, comprising a fairly flexible thin filmy wall having a thickness of between 0.3mm and 1.0mm and being made of Neoprene having a hardness of between JIS60 and JIS80 degrees, a relatively thick outer side shell of soft resilient deformable material having a peripheral outer wall of substantially rectangular shape connected to said filmy wall to define therebetween a hollow substantially rectangular space of constant depth and defining an enclosure which is flexible as a whole, at least one longitudinal straight elongated internal rib integrally formed on an intermediate portion of said outer side shell, with its ends spaced from said rectangular outer wall, for sustaining said hollow space without inhibiting longitudinal air movement therein, a condenser microphone communicatively connected to said hollow space, and means to reduce the pickup of extraneous noise without adversely affecting sound collecting, as well as to decompose a vascular sound distinctively according to different frequencies, said means comprising an element having a passage with a diameter between 0.2mm and 1.5mm extending to said hollow space and connecting said hollow space with the ambient atmosphere, whereby said hollow space is maintained as a unitary space and the sound sensing portion of said microphone is directly exposed to the inside of said hollow space.

2. A vascular sound detector as set forth in claim 1, wherein a plurality of rather short spaced internal ribs integrally formed with said outer side shell are disposed across said hollow space.

3. A vascular sound detector as set forth in claim 1, wherein a said internal elongated rib integrally formed with said outer side shell projects longitudinally from an end of said shell across said hollow space, and a sound output passage leading to said microphone is disposed near said end from which said rib projects.

4. A vascular sound detector as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hollow space is generally of arcuate shape enveloped by a concave inner side wall and a likewise arcuate outer side shell for best adaptation on the human body.