Stethoscope having pseudostereophonic binaural enhancement

• US 4,783,814 A
• Filed: 10/09/1986
• Issued: 11/08/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Comprehensive Health Care of Ohio Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Comprehensive Health Care Corporation of America
• Inventors: Foley, Kevin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US06/917,160
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 381/67, 381/68.2, 381/17, 381/25, 381/74
• US Class Current: 381/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R

Abstract

A stethoscope having a monophonic electrical sensor which feeds electrical signals corresponding to heart sounds to a transversal filter to produce pseudostereophonic signals at split outputs which may be used to power dual earphones for binaural listening. The electronic processing of the heart sounds in the transversal filter enables the listener to differentiate the different sounds of the heart.

Claims

1. A stethoscope for use in listening to body sounds comprising:

a monophonic microphone for sensing said body sounds and converting said body sounds into a corresponding monophonic signal;

a right earphone and a left earphone enabling binaural hearing by a user of said stethoscope;

transversal filter means for converting said corresponding monophonic signal into a corresponding different output signal;

means for transmitting said corresponding different output signal to only one of said earphones; and

means for transmitting said corresponding monophonic signal to the other one of said earphones;

whereby sounds heard in said right and left earphones are different and create a pseudostereophonic effect during binaural hearing by said user.

2. The stethoscope according to claim 1 wherein said transversal filter means comprises time delay means responsive to said corresponding monophonic signal for delaying such signal by a selected amount, and means for algebraically combining the delayed signal with said corresponding monophonic signal to produce said corresponding different output signal.

3. The stethoscope according to claim 2 whrrein the delay means is adjustable to provide a selected delay.

4. The stethoscope according to claim 3 wherein the time delay is adjustable over a range from substantially zero to 40 milliseconds.

5. A stethoscope for listening to body sounds comprising:

a monophonic microphone for sensing said body sounds and converting them into a corresponding monphonic signal;

a right earphone and a left earphone enabling binaural hearing by a user of said stethoscope;

transversal filter means for converting said corresponding monophonic signal into two different corresponding output signals; and

means for individually connecting said two different corresponding output signals to respective ones of said right and left earphones to produce different sounds for said right and left earphones;

whereby the different sounds heard in said right and left earphones create a pseudostereophonic effect during binaural hearing by said user.

6. The stethoscope according to claim 5 wherein said transversal filter means comprises time delay means responsive to said corresponding monophonic signal for delaying such signal by a selected amount, means for phase splitting the delayed signal, and means for algebraically combining each of the delayed signals, as split, with said corresponding monophonic signal and thereby produce said two different corresponding output signal.

7. The stethoscope according to claim 6 wherein the time delay means is adjustable to provide a selected length delay.

8. The stethoscope according to claim 7 wherein the time delay is adjustable over a range from substantially zero to 40 milliseconds.

9. The stethoscope according to claim 6 wherein the phase splitter is a transistor having base input, emitter and collector resistors, and output connections from the emitter and collector for supplying the delayed split signals.