Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Stethoscopes – electrical
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-28
2002-12-24
Isen, Forester W. (Department: 2644)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Stethoscopes, electrical
Reexamination Certificate
active
06498854
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to sensing body sounds, and more specifically, to acoustic-to-electrical transducers used for sensing body sounds, especially in stethoscopes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Stethoscopes are widely used by health professionals to aid in the detection of body sounds. The procedures for listening to and analyzing body sounds, called auscultation, is often difficult to learn due to the typically low sound volume produced by an acoustic stethoscope. Electronic stethoscopes have been developed which amplify the faint sounds from the body. However, such devices suffer from distortion and ambient noise pickup. The distortion and noise are largely due to the performance of the acoustic-to-electrical transducers, which differ in operation from the mechanical diaphragms used in acoustic stethoscopes.
Acoustic stethoscopes have been the reference by which stethoscope sound quality has been measured. Acoustic stethoscopes convert the movement of the stethoscope diaphragm into air pressure, which is directly transferred via tubing to the listener's ears. The listener therefore hears the direct vibration of the diaphragm via air tubes.
Existing electrical stethoscope transducers are typically one of two types: (1) microphones mounted behind the stethoscope diaphragm, or (2) piezo-electric sensors mounted on, or physically connected to, the diaphragm.
Microphones mounted behind the stethoscope diaphragm pick up the sound pressure created by the stethoscope diaphragm, and convert it to electrical signals. The microphone itself has a diaphragm, and thus the acoustic transmission path comprises stethoscope diaphragm, air inside the stethoscope housing, and finally microphone diaphragm. The existence of two diaphragms, and the intervening air path, result in excess ambient noise pickup by the microphone, as well as inefficient acoustic energy transfer. Various inventions have been disclosed to counteract this fundamentally inferior sensing technique, such as adaptive noise canceling, and various mechanical isolation mountings for the microphone. However, these methods are often just compensations for the fundamental inadequacies of the acoustic-to-electrical transducers.
The piezo-electric sensors operate on a somewhat different principle than merely sensing diaphragm sound pressure. Piezo-electric sensors produce electrical energy by deformation of a crystal substance. In one case, the diaphragm motion deforms a piezoelectric sensor crystal which is mechanically coupled to the stethoscope diaphragm, and an electrical signal results. The problem with this sensor is that the conversion mechanism produces signal distortion compared with sensing the pure motion of the diaphragm. The resulting sound is thus somewhat different in tone, and distorted compared with an acoustic stethoscope.
Capacitive acoustic sensors have been disclosed and are in common use in high performance microphones and hydrophones. A capacitive microphone utilizes the variable capacitance produced by a vibrating capacitive plate to perform acoustic-to-electrical conversion. A capacitive microphone placed behind a stethoscope diaphragm would suffer from the same ambient noise and energy transfer problems that occur with any other microphone mounted behind a stethoscope diaphragm. The present invention, however, exploits the basic principle of a capacitive transducer in a form customized for body sound sensing, in a unique manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a acoustic-to-electrical transducer for detecting body sounds, the transducer comprising: a diaphragm having an electrically conductive surface, the diaphragm being mounted in a housing such that the diaphragm can contact a body for body sound detection; a conductive plate substantially parallel to the diaphragm, mounted within the housing, the conductive plate being positioned behind and spaced from the diaphragm to allow diaphragm motion, the diaphragm and conductive plate being connected in the of form an electrical capacitance to electrical circuitry; and a capacitance-to-electrical signal conversion means to convert capacitance changes to electrical signals.
The present invention provides an acoustic-to-electrical transducer means for the detection of body sounds, such as for use in a stethoscope. The term “body” in this specification may include living or inanimate bodies. Living bodies may include humans and animals, while inanimate bodies may include, by example only, buildings, machinery, containers, conduits and the like. The sensor operates on a capacitance-to-electrical conversion principle.,
The sensor detects stethoscope diaphragm movement directly, converting the diaphragm movement to an electrical signal which is a measure of the diaphragm motion. Further amplification or processing of the electrical signal-facilitates the production of an amplified sound with characteristics closely resembling the acoustic stethoscope sound, but with increased amplification, while maintaining low distortion. This is a significant improvement over the more indirect diaphragm sound sensing produced by the microphonic or piezoelectric methods described above. Since the diaphragm motion, is sensed directly, the sensor is less sensitive to outside noise than the other methods described, and the signal is a more accurate measure of the diaphragm movement. In the case of the acoustic stethoscope, diaphragm movement produces the acoustic pressure waves sensed by the listener's ears, and in the case of the present invention, that same diaphragm movement produces the electrical signal in a direct manner, the signal eventually being used to drive an acoustic output transducer such as headphones, to set up the same acoustic pressure waves impinging on the listener's ears.
The present invention utilizes a capacitive sensing method. Capacitive acoustic sensors have been disclosed and are in common use in high performance microphones and hydrophones. However, the present invention uses the stethoscope diaphragm itself as one plate of the capacitive sensor which touches the body surface directly. This method of direct contact capacitive sensing of body sounds as described, is unique.
The sensor comprises a movable diaphragm with a conductive surface, and a co-planar conductive surface (electrode or plate) placed behind the diaphragm, with a space or electrolyte between the two elements. The diaphragm's conductive surface, in conjunction with the second conductive plate, form a capacitor. Movement of the diaphragm due to motion or sound pressure modulates the distance between the diaphragm and plate, producing a change in capacitance. One unique aspect of the invention lies in the fact that the stethoscope diaphragm forms one plate of the capacitor.
A feature of the invention is that the diaphragm, being the same element that makes contact with the body, is primarily sensitive to sounds emanating from the body, rather than sound transmitted through the air from ambient noise. By making contact with the body, the acoustic impedance of the sensor becomes matched to that of the body, rather than the surrounding air. Therefore, the capacitance change due to diaphragm motion is primarily due to body sounds, rather than overall ambient noise.
While a number of means are available for converting the capacitance variation to an electrical signal, the preferred embodiment performs this conversion by charging the capacitance formed by the diaphragm-plate combination to a high DC voltage, via a high resistance. This produces a somewhat constant charge on the capacitor. Movement of the diaphragm then produces a variation in the capacitance. If the capacitor charge is fixed, and the capacitance varies with time, a small AC variation in capacitance voltage is produced. This is sensed by a high-impedance amplifier, which is designed to detect the AC changes in capacitance voltage while avoiding rapid discharge of the capacitor.
A second method for detecting capacitance change is to
Abrahams Colin P.
Grier Laura A.
Isen Forester W.
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