Visual acoustic device

• US 7,721,843 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Government of the United States of America
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Belenger, Robert V., Lopriore, Gennaro
• Primary Examiner(s): San Martin; Edgardo
• Application Number:
  US11/357,470
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 181/131, 381/67, 600/528, 600/527, 600/523, 600/509, 600/508
• US Class Current: 181/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/02 Stethoscopes acoustic details thereof G10K11/00

Abstract

A visual-acoustic device is provided that contains an acoustic detector to produce sound waves in communication with a moiré pattern generator that produces moiré patterns corresponding to the sound waves. The device includes a rigid plate having a first repetitive pattern and a flexible plate spaced from the rigid, plate and having a second repetitive pattern corresponding to the first repetitive pattern. The sound waves induce movement of the flexible plate such that the second repetitive pattern moves with respect to the first repetitive pattern to produce the moiré pattern. The visual-acoustic device can be arranged as a visual-acoustic stethoscope.

Claims

1. A visual-acoustic device comprising:

an acoustic detector to produce sound waves associated with sounds generated by an object when the acoustic detector is placed in contact with the object; and

a moiré

pattern generator in communication with the acoustic detector to receive the sound waves produced by the acoustic detector and to produce at least one moiré

pattern corresponding to the sound waves.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the moiré

pattern generator comprises;

a rigid plate comprising a first repetitive pattern; and

a flexible plate spaced from the rigid plate, the flexible plate comprising a second repetitive pattern corresponding to the first repetitive pattern;

wherein the sound waves induce movement of the flexible plate such that the second repetitive pattern moves with respect to the first repetitive pattern to produce the at least one moiré

pattern.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein at least one of the flexible plate and the rigid plate is semi-transparent.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the rigid plate is rotatable with respect to the flexible plate to provide tuning of the moiré

pattern in accordance with sound waves anticipated to be produced by the acoustic detector.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the flexible plate comprises a stiffness corresponding to sounds waves anticipated to be produced by the acoustic detector.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the flexible plate is moveable with respect to the rigid plate to affect a thickness of the air space between the rigid plate and the flexible plate.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein the moiré

pattern generator further comprises one or more additional plates, each additional plate comprising an additional corresponding pattern.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a moiré

pattern interpretation system to analyze the produced moiré

pattern and to associate each produced moiré

pattern with one or more sounds.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a light generating assembly disposed adjacent the moiré

pattern generator to assist in viewing the moiré

patterns produced by the generator.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the acoustic detector comprises a bell housing and a diaphragm covering an opening of the bell housing.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the acoustic detector comprise an acoustic stethoscope.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the moiré

pattern generator comprises;

a rigid fixed plate comprising a first repetitive pattern;

a rigid moveable plate spaced from the rigid fixed plate, the moveable plate comprising a second repetitive pattern corresponding to the first repetitive pattern;

a sealed flexible air sack in contact with the moveable plate; and

wherein the sound waves induce deformation of the flexible sealed air sack, inducing movement of the moveable rigid plate such that the second repetitive pattern moves with respect to the first repetitive pattern to produce the at least one moiré

pattern.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a sensitivity control in contact with the flexible sealed air sack, the sensitivity control capable of controlling the deformation of the sealed air sack induced by the sound waves.

14. A visual-acoustic stethoscope comprising:

an acoustic detector comprising a bell housing and a diaphragm covering an opening of the bell housing, the diaphragm arranged to produce sound waves associated with sounds generated by internal organs of a living organism when the diaphragm and bell housing are placed in contact with an area of the living organism; and

a moiré

pattern generator in communication with the bell housing of the acoustic detector to receive the sound waves produced by the diaphragm and to produce at least one moiré

pattern corresponding to the sound waves.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the moiré

pattern generator comprises;

a rigid plate comprising a first repetitive pattern; and

a flexible plate spaced from the rigid plate, the flexible plate comprising a second repetitive pattern corresponding to the first repetitive pattern;

wherein the sound waves induce movement of the flexible plate such that the second repetitive pattern moves with respect to the first repetitive pattern to produce the at least one moiré

pattern.

16. The device of claim 14, further comprising a light generating assembly disposed adjacent the moiré

pattern generator to assist in viewing the moiré

patterns produced by the generator.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the rigid plate is rotatable with respect to the flexible plate to provide tuning of the moiré

pattern in accordance with sound waves anticipated to be produced by the acoustic detector.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the flexible plate comprises a stiffness corresponding to the sounds waves anticipated to be produced by the acoustic detector.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the flexible plate is moveable with respect to the rigid plate to affect a thickness of the air space between the rigid plate and the flexible plate.

20. A method for generating visual analogues of sound waves, the method comprising:

placing an acoustic detector in contact with an object generating a sound;

using the acoustic detector to produce sound waves corresponding to the generated sound; and

using the sound waves to move corresponding first and second fixed patterns with respect to each other to generate a moiré

pattern, wherein the sound waves move a flexible plate containing the second fixed pattern with respect to a rigid plate containing the first fixed pattern.