DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS

• US 20140364755A1
• Filed: 12/28/2011
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cyberdyne Inc., University of Tsukuba
• Original Assignee: Cyberdyne Inc., University of Tsukuba
• Inventors: Sankai, Yoshiyuki, Nakata, Kin-ichi
• Application Number:
  US14/368,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20140364755A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/513
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0443 Modular apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/02 Stethoscopes acoustic details thereof G10K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R

Abstract

A diagnostic apparatus includes a stethoscope, an electrocardiac detector, a control unit, and an external unit. A sound detector is a chest piece to make contact with a patient'"'"'s skin, and includes a first detector to detect a relatively high frequency and a second detector to detect a relatively low frequency. The electrocardiac detector includes electrodes to detect potentials associated with heart beats, and is provided on each of the first and second detectors. The control unit converts electrocardiac signals detected by the electrocardiac detector into radio signals that are transmitted to the external unit. The external unit is a portable terminal apparatus, and includes a display unit formed by a liquid crystal panel on a front surface thereof, an operation part including operation buttons and ten-key, and patient selection buttons to select reading of data of patients.

Claims

1. A diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a stethoscope including a sound detector that detects body sounds, a tube having one end thereof communicating to the sound detector, and a pair of ear tubes branching from another end of the tube, and configured to detect the body sounds from end parts of the pair of ear tubes;

an electrocardiac detector, provided on the sound detector, and configured to detect potentials associated with heart beats;

a control unit, provided on the stethoscope, and configured to convert the potentials detected by the electrocardiac detector into radio signals and transmit the radio signals; and

an external unit, provided separately from the stethoscope, and configured to receive the radio signals transmitted from the control unit and display waveforms based on the radio signals.

2. The diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrocardiac detector and the control unit are provided on a mounting base that is detachably mounted on the sound detector.

3. The diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit includes

a radio transmitter configured to convert the potentials detected by the electrocardiac detector into the radio signals;

and

a battery configured to supply power to the radio transmitter.

4. The diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external unit is formed by a portable terminal apparatus including

a radio receiver configured to receive the radio signals transmitted from the radio transmitter;

a storage configured to store a change in the potentials from the radio receiver; and

a display unit configured to display the waveforms based on the change in the potentials.

5. The diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sound detector includes

a first detector having a diaphragm configured to detect a high frequency of the body sounds;

and

a second detector having a rubber member, provided on a peripheral edge part of the sound detector, and configured to detect a low frequency of the body sounds,

wherein the first detector and the second detector are selectable, and

wherein the electrocardiac detector is provided on each of the first detector and the second detector.

6. A diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a stethoscope unit including a sound detector configured to detect body sounds; and

a terminal apparatus, provided separately from the stethoscope unit, and configured to receive radio signals transmitted from the stethoscope unit and display waveforms based on the radio signals and cardiac sound signals,

wherein the stethoscope unit includes an electrocardiac detector configured to detect potentials associated with heart beats, a microphone configured to detect cardiac sound, and a radio transmitter configured to convert the potentials detected by the electrocardiac detector and the cardiac sound detected by the microphone into radio signals and transmit the radio signals to the terminal apparatus.

7. The diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the stethoscope unit includes

a storage configured to store the potentials detected by the electrocardiac detector and the cardiac sound signals detected by the microphone;

and

a battery configured to supply power to the radio transmitter.

8. The diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the terminal apparatus includes

a communication unit including a radio receiver configured to receive the radio signals of the potentials and the cardiac sound signals transmitted from the radio transmitter of the stethoscope unit;

a storage configured to store a change in the potentials and the cardiac sound signals from the communication unit; and

a display unit configured to display waveforms based on the change in the potentials detected by the electrocardiac detector and the cardiac sound signals detected by the microphone.