Cantilevered bioacoustic sensor and method using same

• US 8,024,974 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Carim, Hatim M., Bharti, Vivek, DeRoos, Fred L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Raevis; Robert R
• Application Number:
  US11/286,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20070113649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,134 Days
• Field of Search: 381/67
• US Class Current: 73/591
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0223 of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors
• 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 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/001 Detecting cranial noise, e.g. caused by aneurism
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/46 Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope throat mountings H04R1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/025 using a piezoelectric polymer
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

A sensor for sensing bioacoustic energy includes a housing comprising an interfacing portion configured to establish coupling with a body part during use of the sensor. An anchoring arrangement is defined on the housing. A transducer member has an anchoring end and at least one free end. The anchoring end of the transducer is coupled to the housing such that the transducer member is arranged to be preferentially sensitive to bioacoustic energy transferred to the transducer via the interfacing portion relative to other portions of the housing.

Claims

1. A sensor for sensing bioacoustic energy, comprising:

a housing comprising an interfacing portion, the interfacing portion of the housing configured to establish coupling with a body part during use of the sensor;

a transducer assembly comprising;

an anchoring arrangement, and

a transducer, the transducer comprising a polymeric piezoelectric film adapted to modulate or generate an electrical signal in response to deformation, the transducer including only one free end and being cantilevered, the transducer being fixedly coupled to the housing at an anchoring location via the anchoring arrangement such that the transducer is arranged to be preferentially sensitive to bioacoustic energy transferred to the transducer via the interfacing portion of the housing relative to other portions of the housing; and

at least one conductor coupled to the transducer.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the anchoring arrangement comprises a compliant or a rigid coupling arrangement configured to couple the transducer to the housing.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the anchoring arrangement defines a unitary structure of the housing.

4. The sensor of claim 1, comprising a fixing arrangement coupled to the housing and configured to establish affixation between the housing and the body part during use, the fixing arrangement comprising one or both of an adhesive and elastic bands.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor comprises at least one optical conductor.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a base and a cover, the base comprising the interfacing portion and the cover coupled to the base via a compliant joint arrangement.

7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the interfacing portion of the housing is substantially stiff.

8. The sensor of claim 7, wherein the interfacing portion of the housing comprises a polymeric material, metal or alloy, a composite material, a ceramic material or crystalline material.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the transducer comprises first and second opposing major surfaces, and the first and second major surfaces of the transducer are substantially parallel to the interfacing portion of the housing.

10. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an arrangement configured to modify a frequency response of the transducer.

11. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a mass element disposed proximate to the free end of the transducer.

12. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

a mass element comprising magnetizable material disposed proximate to the free end of the transducer; and

a magnet arrangement configured to magnetically interact with the magnetizable material of the mass element, the magnet arrangement configured to facilitate adjustment of the interaction between the magnet and the magnetizable material of the mass element.

13. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the transducer is one of a plurality of transducers, and wherein each of the plurality of transducers is configured to have a frequency response differing from that of at least one other transducer of the plurality of transducers.

14. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

an auxiliary transducer disposed within the housing other than at the interfacing portion of the housing; and

noise cancellation circuitry coupled to the transducer and the auxiliary transducer.

15. A stethoscope comprising the sensor according to claim 1.

16. A helmet comprising one or more sensors according to claim 1.

17. The sensor of claim 1, comprising communications circuitry configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the sensor and a device external of the housing.

18. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the transducer comprises a single anchoring end coupled to the anchoring arrangement.

19. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the anchoring arrangement comprises a pedestal having a first end and a second end, the first end of the pedestal coupled to the interfacing portion of the housing and the second end of the pedestal coupled to the transducer.

20. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a mass element disposed on the transducer.