Electronic sound amplifier stethoscope with visual heart beat and blood flow indicator

• US 4,783,813 A
• Filed: 12/24/1986
• Issued: 11/08/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lola R. Thompson
• Original Assignee: Lola R. Thompson
• Inventors: Kempka, Chester W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US06/946,383
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 381/67, 381/72, 381/158, 381/12, 381/68, 381/25, 381/74, 381/88, 381/90, 340/815.11
• US Class Current: 381/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R

Abstract

An electronic sound amplification stethoscope including a battery powered self-contained sound amplification circuit contained in a hand held connector housing inserted in the flexible sound conduit of the stethoscope. The circuit includes a miniaturized microphone for receiving sound waves from the stethoscope pickup head and a miniaturized speaker for transmitting amplified sound waves to the stethoscope headpiece. Both the microphone and speaker may be housed in the connector housing and are vibration insulated from the housing itself. The electronic circuitry and battery power source are located in compartments separated from the microphone and speaker. A LED light source is placed in series between the amplifier circuit and the power source such that the fluctuations in its intensity are directly proportional to the power surges in the circuit. The LED is thus a visual indicator of such body functions as respiration and blood flow. The amplifier circuit is also provided with an on/off volume control thumbwheel located on the surface of the connector housing.

Claims

1. A stethoscope comprising;

sound pickup head,

ear piece,

a connector housing including first and second housing chambers defined by first and second housing chamber walls respectively, with said first housing chamber wall having an edge wall portion defining an opening,

first and second sound transmission conduits connected to said pickup head and said ear piece respectively,

a microphone for receiving sound waves and producing an electronic signal,

a mounting member having a microphone socket portion positioned within said first housing chamber, an elongated mid portion projecting from said socket portion through said first housing chamber opening and a connector end portion positioned exterior of said first housing chamber and sized for attachment of said first conduit thereto, said socket portion having an unperforated annular socket chamber wall defining an interior socket chamber with first and second end openings, said socket chamber wall being spaced apart from and out of contact with said first housing chamber wall to provide a dead air space therebetween, said first socket chamber end opening being sized to receive said microphone therein and said second socket chamber end opening being in communication with an interior sound conductive open channel extending fully through said mounting member from said connector end portion to said socket chamber to transmit sound waves from said first conduit to said socket chamber, said microphone being mounted within said socket chamber so as to detect sound waves communicated therewith only via said sound channel from said first conduit,

first sound and vibration insulating material positioned between said microphone and said socket chamber wall so that in combination with said microphone said first socket chamber end opening is sealed closed, said first material supporting said microphone out of direct contact with said socket chamber wall and providing an airtight seal therebetween such that sound passing through said sound channel is transmitted to said socket chamber and detected by said microphone therein,

a grommet of resilient material positioned within said first housing chamber opening, said grommet having a central opening sized to receive and hold therein said mounting member midportion with said mounting member midportion vibration insulated from said first housing chamber wall,

a speaker mounted in said second housing chamber, said second housing chamber having said second conduit attached thereto for transmission of sound waves generated by said speaker to said ear piece,

said speaker being oriented in said second housing chamber so as to transmit sound waves only via said second conduit,

second sound and vibration insulating material positioned between said speaker and said second housing chamber walls, and

electronic sound amplification means mounted in said connector housing,

said sound amplification means including electronic amplifier means and circuit means therefor interconnecting said microphone with said speaker for amplifying said electronic signal and transmitting said amplified electronic signal to said speaker for generating amplified sound waves to said ear piece.

8. The stethoscope according to claim 1, wherein said electronic sound amplification means includes;

a direct current power source, and

light emitting means located in said amplifier circuit means in series between said power source and said amplifier means, said light emitting means being illuminated with a first lower intensity in response to power from said power source being applied to said amplifier means and being illuminated with varying degrees of intensity between said first intensity and a second higher intensity in direct proportion to fluctuations in the magnitude of power surges in said amplifier means being supplied to drive said speaker resulting from the varying amplitude of sound wave pulses received by said microphone to give a visual indication of power being applied to said amplifier means and of the fluctuations in said amplified electronic signal.

2. A stethoscope comprising:

an interdigitally graspable sound pickup head means,

first elongated sound wave transmission conduit means connected to said pickup head means to receive sound waves therefrom,

second elongated sound transmission conduit means to receive sound waves

ear piece means connected to said second conduit means to receive sound waves therefrom,

a connector housing including a central hollow enclosed storage chamber defined by end and side walls and first and second housing chambers formed on the opposite sides of the opposite end walls thereof, said first and second housing chambers being defined by first and second housing chamber walls respectively, with said first housing chamber wall having an edge wall portion defining an opening,

microphone means for receiving sound waves and producing an electronic signa,

a mounting member having a microphone socket portion positioned within said first housing chamber, an elongated mid portion projecting from said socket portion through said first housing chamber opening and a connector end portion positioned exterior of said first housing chamber and sized for attachment of said first conduit means thereto, said socket portion having an unperforated socket chamber wall defining an interior socket chamber with first and second end openings, said socket chamber wall being spaced apart from and out of contact with said first housing chamber wall to provide a dead air space therebetween, said first socket chamber end opening being sized to receive said microphone means therein and said second socket chamber end opening being in communication with an interior sound conductive open channel extending fully through said mounting member from said connector end portion to said socket chamber to transmit sound waves from said first conduit means to said socket chamber, said microphone means being mounted within said socket chamber so as to detect sound waves communicated therewith only via said sound channel from said first conduit means,

first sound and vibration insulation means interposed between said microphone means and said socket chamber wall and completely surrounding the periphery of said microphone means so that in combination with said microphone means said first socket chamber end opening is sealed closed, said first material supporting said microphone means out of direct contact with said socket chamber wall and providing an airtight seal therebetween such that sound passing through said sound channel is transmitted to said socket chamber and detected by said microphone means therein, whereby said microphone means is sound and vibration isolated from said first housing chamber,

a grommet of resilient material positioned within said first housing chamber opening, said grommet having a central opening sized to receive and hold therein said mounting member midportion with said mounting member midportion vibration insulated from said first housing chamber wall,

speaker means disposed in said second housing chamber,

said second housing chamber being connected to said second conduit means for transmission of audible sound waves to said ear piece means,

second sound and vibration insulation means interposed between said speaker means and said second housing chamber wall for mounting said speaker means therein oriented so as to transmit audible sound waves from said second housing chamber to said second conduit means only, and

electronic sound amplification means mounted in said central chamber,

said sound amplification means including electronic amplifier circuit means interconnecting said microphone means with said speaker means for amplifying said electronic signal and transmitting said amplified electronic signal to said speaker means for generating amplified sound waves to said ear piece means.

3. The stethoscope according to claim 2 wherein;

said second insulation means includes sound and vibration insulation means interposed between said speaker means and said second housing chamber completely surrounding the periphery of said speaker means, said speaker means being supported out of direct contact with said second housing chamber wall and sound and vibration isolated from said housing, and

wherein said electronic circuit means includes control means having on/off switch means and volume control for said sound amplification means, and

activator means for said control means mounted on said housing.

6. The stethoscope according to claim 2 wherein said second housing chamber comprises;

a cylindrical enclosure having one end thereof open and the other end thereof comprising one end wall of said connector housing,

the open end of said cylindrical enclosure having a bevelled rim wall portion defining an end opening,

a conical shaped connector having a reduced diameter end thereof engagable with said second conduit means and the enlarged end thereof positioned within and sized to be engaged by said bevelled rim wall portion of said cylindrical enclosure with said reduced diameter end projecting out of said end opening, said bevelled rim wall portion retaining said conical shaped connector against removal from the cylindrical enclosure through said end opening,

said conical shaped connector being hollow with a through passage extending between said reduced and enlarged diameter ends for sound transmission,

a U-shaped in cross-section annular resilient grommet positioned on a cylindrical inner rim wall portion of said enlarged diameter end of said conical shaped connector with an inner leg of said grommet on an inward side of said rim wall portion and an outer leg of said grommet on an outward side of said rim wall portion,

said speaker means being located within said enlarged diameter end of said conical shaped connector,

said outer leg of said grommet being compressed between an inner wall surface of said cylindrical enclosure and said outward side of said rim wall portion and said inner leg of said grommet being positioned between said inward side of said rim wall portion and said speaker means in contact with the periphery of said speaker means,

said speaker means being fully surrounded and press fitted against said inner leg of said grommet, whereby said speaker means is sound and vibration insulated from said conical shaped connector and said cylindrical enclosure.

9. The stethoscope according to claim 2 wherein said electronic sound amplification means includes:

a direct current power source, and

light emitting means located in said amplifier circuit means in series between said power source and said amplifier means, said light emitting means being illuminated with a first lower intensity in response to power from said power source being applied to said amplifier means and being illuminated with varying degrees of intensity between said first intensity and a second higher intensity in direct proportion to fluctuations in the magnitude of power surges in said amplifier means being supplied to drive said speaker means resulting from the varying amplitude of sound wave pulses received by said microphone means to give a visual indication of power being applied to said amplifier means and of the fluctuations in said amplified electronic signal.

4. A stethoscope comprising;

an interdigitally graspable sound pickup head means,

a first elongated elastic and flexible tubing connected to said pickup head means to receive sound waves therefrom,

ear piece means,

a second elongated elastic and flexible tubing connected to said ear piece means to transmit sound waves thereto,

a connector housing including a central hollow enclosed storage chamber defined by end and side walls and by an attachment member and a speaker housing chamber formed on the opposite sides of the opposite end walls thereof, said first tubing being attached to said attachment member and said second tubing being attached to said housing chamber,

microphone means for receiving sound waves and producing an electronic signal, said microphone means being mounted interior of said first tubing longitudinally spaced apart from said attachment member and oriented so as to receive sound waves from said pickup head means through said first tubing, said microphone means having a size larger than the unstretched diameter of said first tubing so as to be retained therewithin by the resiliency of the resilient wall of said elastic flexible first tubing, in a fixed position, the resilient wall further serving to sound and vibration insulate the microphone means from environmental noise,

speaker means disposed in said speaker housing chamber, said speaker housing chamber being connected to said second tubing for transmission of audible sound waves to said ear piece means,

sound and vibration insulation means interposed betweeen said speaker means and said speaker housing chamber for mounting said speaker means therein oriented so as to transmit audible sound waves from said speaker housing chamber to said second tubing only, and

electronic sound amplification means mounted in said central chamber,

said sound amplification means including electronic amplifier circuit means interconnecting said microphone means with said speaker means for amplifying said electronic signal and transmitting said amplified electronic signal to said speaker means for generating amplified sound waves to said ear piece means, said electronic amplifier circuit means including electrical signal conductors connecting said microphone means in said first tubing to said circuit means via the interior of said first tubing and an interior passage in said attachment member.

5. The stethoscope according to claim 4 further including;

flexible sound insulation material located in said first tubing in the tubing interior space between said microphone means and said attachment member, and substantially filling said tubing interior space therebetween.

7. In an acoustical stethoscope having sound wave pickup means and ear piece means, an electronic sound amplification means including in combination;

a direct current power source,

microphone means for receiving sound waves and producing an electronic signal,

speaker means for receiving said electronic signals and producing amplified audible sound waves,

electronic amplifier means including circuitry connected to said microphone means, speaker means and power source to amplify said electronic signal from said microphone means and apply said amplified signal to said speaker means, and

light emitting means located in said circuitry in series between said power source and said amplifier means, said light emitting means being illuminated with a first lower intensity in response to power from said power source being applied to said circuitry and being illuminated with varying degrees of intensity between said first intensity and a second higher intensity in direct proportion to fluctuations in the magnitude of power surges in said circuitry being supplied to drive said speaker means resulting from the varying amplitude of sound wave pulses received by said microphone means to give a visual indication of power being applied to said circuitry and of the fluctuations in said amplified signal.