Floating ballast mass active stethoscope or sound pickup device
First Claim
1. An active sound detection device, including:
- a diaphragm;
at least one rigid floating mass mounted to the diaphragm at at least one coupling point of the diaphragm such that when the diaphragm moves, the at least one floating mass moves in phase with and in sympathy with the diaphragm at each said coupling point; and
an acoustic transducer mounted to at least one said floating mass.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An active stethoscope or other sound detection device, including a diaphragm, at least one floating mass mounted to the diaphragm (at at least one coupling point of the diaphragm), and an acoustic transducer mounted to the floating mass. Preferably, each floating mass is configured and mounted so that as each floating mass and each coupling point of the diaphragm move in sympathy with acoustic waves (to be detected) that impinge on the diaphragm, the acoustic transducer rides with and is stabilized by the floating mass to which it is mounted and the diaphragm is stabilized by each floating mass. The acoustic transducer can be of any of many different types. For example, it can be a microphone, or an optical, capacitive, or inductive transducer. The diaphragm can have an isolating portion which absorbs acoustic surface wave energy incident thereon, or otherwise prevents or reduces transmission of acoustic surface waves through the isolating portion between regions of the diaphragm.
52 Citations
64 Claims
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1. An active sound detection device, including:
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a diaphragm; at least one rigid floating mass mounted to the diaphragm at at least one coupling point of the diaphragm such that when the diaphragm moves, the at least one floating mass moves in phase with and in sympathy with the diaphragm at each said coupling point; and an acoustic transducer mounted to at least one said floating mass. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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4. An active sound detection device, including:
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a diaphragm; at least one floating mass mounted to the diaphragm, wherein the at least one floating mass includes a first floating mass mounted to the diaphragm and a second floating mass mounted to the diaphragm; and an acoustic transducer mounted to at least one said floating mass, wherein the diaphragm has a first annular region and a second annular region concentric with the first annular region, said device also including; a housing to which the diaphragm is mounted, wherein the first floating mass is mounted the first annular region of said diaphragm with freedom to move relative to the housing in sympathy with movement of said first annular region, and the second floating mass is mounted to the second annular region of said diaphragm with freedom to move relative to the housing in sympathy with movement of said second annular region. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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39. An active stethoscope, including:
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a chest piece housing; a head piece; a stethoscope tube assembly coupled between the housing and the head piece; a diaphragm mounted to the housing; at least one rigid floating mass mounted to the diaphragm at at least one coupling point of the diaphragm such that when the diaphragm moves, the at least one floating mass moves in phase with and in sympathy with the diaphragm at each said coupling point; an acoustic transducer, mounted to the floating mass and configured to generate at least one transducer output signal in response to body sound causing movement of the diaphragm; and at least one output transducer is coupled and configured to receive at least one said transducer output signal and to convert the at least one said transducer output signal into output sound indicative of the body sound. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. An active stethoscope, including:
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a chest piece housing; a diaphragm mounted to the housing; at least one rigid floating mass mounted to the diaphragm at at least one coupling point of the diaphragm such that when the diaphragm moves, the at least one floating mass moves in phase with and in sympathy with the diaphragm at each said coupling point; and an acoustic transducer mounted to at least one said floating mass. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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48. An active stethoscope, including:
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a chest piece housing; a diaphragm mounted to the housing; at least one floating mass mounted to the diaphragm; and an acoustic transducer mounted to at least one said floating mass, wherein the at least one floating mass includes a first floating mass mounted to the diaphragm and a second floating mass mounted to the diaphragm, and the acoustic transducer is mounted to the first floating mass, and wherein the diaphragm has a first annular region and a second annular region concentric with the first annular region, the first floating mass is mounted the first annular region of said diaphragm with freedom to move relative to the housing in sympathy with movement of said first annular region, and the second floating mass is mounted to the second annular region of said diaphragm with freedom to move relative to the housing in sympathy with movement of said second annular region.
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Specification