Piezoelectric biological sound monitor with printed circuit board

• US 6,661,161 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Andromed Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Van Con, Lanzo, Vittorio F., Adams, Larrimore A. S., Cybulski, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADDISON, KAREN B
• Application Number:
  US10/180,518
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 310/334, 310/324, 310/340, 310/344
• US Class Current: 310/334
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/308 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0688 with foil-type piezoelectric elements, e.g. PVDF

Abstract

The piezoelectric sound monitor comprises a piezoelectric membrane including an inner face, an outer face, and first and second peripheral portions. The piezoelectric sound monitor further comprises a piezoelectric membrane support structure including an outer face, two first mutually facing membrane-clamping walls, a first electrically conductive area, two second mutually facing membrane-clamping walls, and a second electrically conductive area. The inner face of the piezoelectric membrane is applied to the outer face of the support structure. The first peripheral portion of the piezoelectric membrane is clamped between the two first walls, and the first electrically conductive area is located on one of the two first walls for electrically contacting the inner face of the piezoelectric membrane. The second peripheral portion of the piezoelectric membrane is clamped between the two second walls, and the second electrically conductive area is located on one of the two second walls for electrically contacting the outer face of the piezoelectric membrane.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric sound monitor, comprising:

a piezoelectric membrane including an inner face, an outer face, and first and second peripheral portions; and

a piezoelectric membrane support structure including;

an outer face, the inner face of the piezoelectric membrane being applied to the outer face of the support structure;

two first mutually facing membrane-clamping walls, the first peripheral portion of the piezoelectric membrane being clamped between the two first walls;

a first electrically conductive area located on one of the two first walls for electrically contacting the inner face of the piezoelectric membrane;

two second mutually facing membrane-clamping walls, the second peripheral portion of the piezoelectric membrane being clamped between the two second walls; and

a second electrically conductive area located on one of the two second walls for electrically contacting the outer face of the piezoelectric membrane.

2. A piezoelectric sound monitor, comprising:

a frame defining a window and having first and second faces;

a piezoelectric membrane extending across the window of the frame and including an outer face, an inner face applied to the first face of the frame, and first and second generally opposite peripheral portions;

a board having a first face toward the second face of the frame, a second face opposite to the first face, a first electrically conductive area on the first face of the board, and a second electrically conductive area on the second face of the board; and

a housing connected to the frame and having an inner face toward the second face of the board;

wherein;

the first peripheral portion of the piezoelectric membrane is bent over the second face of the frame and clamped between the second face of the frame and the first electrically conductive area whereby the first electrically conductive area is in electrical contact with the outer face of the piezoelectric membrane; and

the second peripheral portion of the piezoelectric membrane is bent over the second face of the board and is clamped between the second electrically conductive area and the inner face of the housing whereby the second electrically conductive area is in electrical contact with the inner face of the piezoelectric membrane.

3. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 2, wherein the piezoelectric membrane comprises a sheet core of piezoelectric material, a first electrode coating forming the outer face of the piezoelectric membrane, and a second electrode coating forming the inner face of the piezoelectric membrane.

4. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 2, wherein:

the frame is hollowed out to form a seat for receiving the board; and

the housing defines a shallow cavity to receive the frame, the piezoelectric membrane and the board.

5. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 2, further comprising a self-adhesive member comprising a self-adhesive face for adhering the piezoelectric sound monitor to a patient'"'"'s body with the outer face of the piezoelectric membrane applied to said patient'"'"'s body in order to sense biological sounds produced within the patient'"'"'s body.

6. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 5, wherein said self-adhesive member comprises a self-adhesive sheet clamped between the board and frame of the piezoelectric sound monitor.

7. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 2, wherein the board is a printed circuit board, and wherein the first and second electrically conductive areas are connected to a printed circuit of said printed circuit board.

8. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 2, further comprising mutually mating pairs of pin and hole for connecting the housing to the frame.

9. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 7, wherein the second face of the printed circuit board comprises electrically conductive traces for connection to an external connector, the electrically conductive traces being connected to the printed circuit of the printed circuit board.

10. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 9, wherein the housing comprises an opening for exposing the electrically conductive traces.

11. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 10, wherein the external connector includes a housing, and wherein the housing of the external connector and the housing of the piezoelectric sound monitor comprise complementary track elements sliding in each other.

12. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 11, wherein the electrically conductive traces are linear, parallel and laterally adjacent to each other, and parallel to a direction of sliding of the track elements in each other, whereby blades of the external connector slide on the laterally adjacent traces when the tracks elements slide in each other.

13. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 10, wherein the opening of the housing defines a track for receiving the external connector.

14. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 7, further comprising at least one electronic component connected to the printed circuit of the printed circuit board for processing an electric signal produced by the piezoelectric membrane in response to detection of a sound.

15. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 14, wherein said at least one electronic component comprises a FM modulator supplied with the electric signal produced by the piezoelectric membrane.

16. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 14, wherein said at least one electronic component comprises a PWM modulator supplied with the electric signal produced by the piezoelectric membrane.

17. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 16, wherein said at least one electronic component further comprises a buffer for preprocessing the electric signal supplied from the piezoelectric membrane to the PWM modulator.

18. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 7, further comprising at least one electronic component connected to the printed circuit of the printed circuit board for producing a biological sound signal and an ECG signal from an electric signal produced by the piezoelectric membrane in response to detection of a biological sound.

19. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 18, wherein said at least one electronic component comprises a FET transistor having a gate electrode supplied with the electric signal produced by the piezoelectric membrane, a source electrode for supplying the ECG signal and a drain electrode for supplying the biological sound signal.

20. A piezoelectric sound monitor as defined in claim 18, wherein said at least one electronic component further comprises an optical coupler for transmitting the biological sound signal from the drain electrode of the FET transistor.

21. A method for fabricating a sound monitor for the detection of sounds, comprising:

clamping a first peripheral portion of a piezoelectric membrane to a first contact area such that a first face of the piezoelectric membrane is in contact with the first contact area;

spreading the piezoelectric membrane across a window of a frame; and

clamping a second peripheral portion of the piezoelectric membrane to a second contact area such that a second surface of the piezoelectric membrane is in contact with the second contact area.