Infrasonic stethoscope for monitoring physiological processes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10092269-B2
Application number	US-201515515670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2015
Priority date	Oct 2, 2014
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

An infrasonic stethoscope for monitoring physiological processes of a patient includes a microphone capable of detecting acoustic signals in the audible frequency bandwidth and in the infrasonic bandwidth (0.03 to 1000 Hertz), a body coupler attached to the body at a first opening in the microphone, a flexible tube attached to the body at a second opening in the microphone, and an earpiece attached to the flexible tube. The body coupler is capable of engagement with a patient to transmit sounds from the person, to the microphone and then to the earpiece.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microphone for use in an infrascope for monitoring physiological processes of a patient, said microphone comprising:
a body comprising a proximal end, a distal end, a body side wall extending between the proximal end and the distal end, an end wall at the proximal end, and an aperture at the distal end;
a body coupler attached to the distal end and over the aperture so as to form a substantially air-tight seal, wherein the body coupler is capable of engagement with the patient;
a cavity surrounded by the body side wall, the end wall and the body coupler;
a conductive backplate within the cavity and defining a backchamber between the conductive backplate and the end wall;
a conductive membrane within the cavity, the conductive backplate and the conductive membrane being spaced apart from each other to form a capacitor;
a flexible diaphragm of the body coupler spaced apart from the conductive membrane, wherein acoustic energy is coupled through the flexible diaphragm and to the conductive membrane whereby movement of the conductive membrane changes a capacitance between the conductive membrane and the conductive backplate; and
a preamplifier board in electrical connection with the conductive backplate, the preamplifier board (i) being capable of measuring the capacitance between the conductive membrane and the conductive backplate and converting the measured capacitance into a voltage signal, and (ii) being disposed toward the proximal end away from the conductive backplate,
said microphone being capable of detecting acoustic signals in a frequency range of 0.03 Hertz to 1000 Hertz.

2. The microphone of claim 1 , further comprising:
a conductive support plate attached to an internal surface of the body side wall within the cavity, the conductive support plate (i) comprising a base wall that divides the cavity into a distal chamber between the base wall and the distal end of the body and a proximal chamber between the base wall and the proximal end of the body, (ii) a base wall aperture within the base wall, and (iii) at least one aperture or slot within the base wall to allow air to flow from the distal chamber to the proximal chamber;
an insulating member extending through the base wall aperture in the conductive support plate;
a conductor extending through the insulating member and extending therefrom, the conductive member being electrically connected to the conductive backplate and to the preamplifier board,
wherein the conductive backplate is on one side of the conductive support plate and the preamplifier board is on an opposite side of the conductive support plate.

3. The microphone of claim 1 , wherein (i) the conductive backplate defines a plurality of holes, (ii) a slot is defined between an outer diameter of the conductive backplate and an inner wall of the body, and (iii) locations and sizes of the holes and a size of the slot are selected such that membrane motion is substantially critically damped.

4. The microphone of claim 3 , wherein the conductive backplate is seated on the insulating member.

5. The microphone of claim 1 , wherein a slot is defined between the preamplifier board and the body side wall, and extends around the preamplifier board.

6. The microphone of claim 1 , wherein the preamplifier board defines a first proximal chamber between the preamplifier board and the end wall, and a second distal chamber between the preamplifier board and the base wall of the conductive support plate.

7. The microphone of claim 6 , wherein the first proximal chamber has a volume of approximately 0.1287 cubic inch, and the second distal chamber has a volume of approximately 0.6 cubic inch.

8. The microphone of claim 1 , wherein the body coupler is formed of an outer ring, the outer ring is attached to the body, and the flexible diaphragm is attached to the outer ring.

9. The microphone of claim 1 , further comprising a sealed electrical connection extending though the body side wall, said sealed electrical connection enabling electrical connection of said microphone to an electronics board.

10. The microphone of claim 1 , further comprising a digitizer board which is remote from the microphone, said digitizer board being capable of digitizing the voltage signal from the preamplifier.

11. The microphone of claim 1 , wherein the voltage signal is digitized and electronically transmitted to a remote location.

12. An infrascope for monitoring physiological processes of a patient, said infrascope comprising the microphone of claim 1 .

13. A method of using the microphone of claim 1 , said method comprising:
positioning the microphone to detect sound pressure from one or more locations within a patient's body.

14. A method of using two microphones of claim 1 , said method comprising:
positioning the two microphones to detect sound pressure from one or more locations within a patient's body.

15. A method of using the microphone of claim 1 , said method comprising:
generating a physiological process signal from detected sound pressure from one or more locations within a patient's body within a frequency range of 0.03 Hertz to 1000 Hertz, the physiological process signal being transmittable in real time.

16. A method of using the microphone of claim 1 , said method comprising:
generating a digitized signal from detected sound pressure from one or more locations within a patient's body within a frequency range of 0.03 Hertz to 1000 Hertz, the digitized signal being transmittable to a remote workstation.

17. A method of using the microphone of claim 1 , said method comprising:
generating a digitized signal from detected sound pressure from one or more locations within a patient's body within a frequency range of 0.03 Hertz to 1000 Hertz, the digitized signal being transmittable to a remote workstation comprising a laptop computer, a personal computer, a remote computer monitor, a smartphone, or a tablet.

18. A method of using the microphone of claim 1 , said method comprising:
using the microphone in (i) a stress phonocardiography test, (ii) for fetal heart monitoring during pregnancy, labor and delivery, (iii) for Doppler phonocardiography, (iv) for biometric identification, or (v) for polygraphs.

19. A method of using the microphone of claim 1 , said method comprising:
using the microphone to at least one of generate a spectrogram and monitor respiratory, cardiac, or fetal heart physiological processes.

20. A microphone for use in an infrascope for monitoring physiological processes of a patient, said microphone comprising:
a body comprising a proximal end, a distal end, a body side wall extending between the proximal end and the distal end, an end wall at the proximal end, and an aperture at the distal end;
a body coupler attached to the distal end and over the aperture so as to form a substantially air-tight seal, wherein the body coupler is capable of engagement with the patient;
a cavity surrounded by the body side wall, the end wall and the body coupler;
a conductive backplate within the cavity and defining a backchamber between the conductive backplate and the end wall;
a conductive membrane within the cavity, the conductive backplate and the conductive membrane being spaced apart from each other to form a capacitor;
a preamplifier board in electrical connection with the conductive backplate, the preamplifier board (i) being capable of measuring a capacitance between the conductive membrane and the conductive backplate and converting the measured capacitance

Assignees

• Nasa
• Nasa

Inventors

• Shams Qamar A
• Zuckerwar Allan J
• Dimarcantonio Albert L

Classifications

• A61B7/023 Primary

  for introduction into the body, e.g. into the oesophagus (oesophageal ECG probes A61B5/285) · CPC title

• A61B8/565

  involving data transmission via a network · CPC title

• A61B8/0883

  for diagnosis of the heart · CPC title

• A61B7/026

  comprising more than one sound collector · CPC title

• A61B5/117

  Identification of persons (methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00) · CPC title