PICK-UP HEAD FOR AN ELECTRONIC STETHOSCOPE

• US 20010014162A1
• Filed: 05/08/1998
• Published: 08/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medi-Stim As
• Original Assignee: Meditron A/S
• Inventors: ORTEN, BIRGER
• Granted Patent: US 6,324,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R

Abstract

The pick-up head (1) with an acousto-electrical transducer (4) for converting sound vibrations to electrical signals, comprises as characterizing features a sound influencing bell (2) arranged around a slender peg (3) bonded directly to the transducer (4), and the sound influencing bell (2) delimits a listening area on a body surface and influences to a predetermined degree and in a predetermined manner, by means of internal reflection and/or absorption, the direct sound picked up by the slender center peg (3). The bell (2) is acoustically decoupled from the center peg (3).

Claims

1. A pick-up head for an electronic stethoscope, comprising at least one acousto-electrical transducer (4) for providing at least one electrical signal representing acoustical vibrations, and at least one mechanical member (3) coupled to said transducer (4) for conveying said acoustical vibrations from a body surface to said transducer (4),

characterized in that a sound influencing bell (2) which is acoustically decoupled from said at least one mechanical member (3), is arranged therearound for providing with an edge (7) a delimited listening area on said body surface and for providing with its inside wall(s) (8) a sound-influencing cavity surface surrounding said at least one mechanical member (3) and being adapted to reflect sound toward said at least one mechanical member (3) with wall shape, i.e. angles and radii of curvature, as well as surface material being predetermined parameters regarding conveying and possibly emphasizing certain sound frequencies, and

that said at least one mechanical member is constituted by a straight, slender peg (3) which is adapted to pick up frontally acoustical vibrations from said body surface through a peg front area that is a substantially smaller area than said delimited listening area, and laterally possible reflected acoustical vibrations from said cavity surface.

2. The pick-up head of

claim 1

,

characterized in that a number of slender pegs for picking up acoustical vibrations, are coupled to one single acousto-electrical transducer (4).

3. The pick-up head of

claim 1

,

characterized in that a number of slender pegs for picking up acoustical vibrations, are coupled to respective ones of a corresponding number of acousto-electrical transducers for providing a corresponding number of separate electrical signals.

4. The pick-up head of

claim 1

,

2

or 3,

characterized in that the edge (7) of said sound influencing bell is substantially flat and has a circular, oval. square or multi-sided shape.

5. The pick-up head of one of claims 1-4,

characterized in that at least an area of the wall(s) (8) is adapted to absorb sound within a predetermined frequency range.

6. The pick-up head of any one of the previous claims,

characterized in that a diaphragm (9) is fastened along the edge (7) of said sound influencing bell to engage the body surface directly, i.e. between said at least one peg (3) and said body surface.

7. The pick-up head of any one of the previous claims,

characterized in that electronic circuitry (16) for processing the electrical signals is included in a unit (18) which is integrated with said pick-up head (1) or is fixed thereto possibly also with a radio transmitter unit (17) for further communication with a central unit which may comprise a computer.