Electronic pick-up device for transducing electrical energy and sound energy of the heart

Patent 4362164 Issued on December 7, 1982. Estimated Expiration Date:

September 11, 2000. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

3565060

3628527

3848582

Inventors

Assignee

Hughes Aircraft Company

Application

No. 06/186074 filed on 09/11/1980

US Classes:

600/382, Electrode attached to or positioned relative to a specific external body portion381/67, STETHOSCOPES, ELECTRICAL600/393, Plural electrodes carried on single support600/528Detecting heart sound

Examiners

Primary: Cohen, Lee S.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

International Classes

A61B 5/0404 (20060101)
A61B 5/0402 (20060101)
A61B 7/02 (20060101)
A61B 7/00 (20060101)

Abstract

A stethoscope transducer applicable as a conventional audio transducer and as a phonocardiogram transducer has a body which on one side mounts an electrode carrying chest bell and which on an opposite side mounts a conventional chest bell. A microphone and a rotor assembly are mounted in a cavity in the body. The microphone and earpiece connections on the body communicate through passages in the rotor assembly with the electrode carrying chest bell when the rotor assembly is in a first position and with the conventional chest bell when the rotor assembly is rotated to a second position. These are three electrodes, two being pickup electrodes which each occupy one quadrant of the chest bell rim in diametrically opposite positions. The third electrode is on the rim intermediate the pickup electrodes. The rim is of a non-wettable material providing a hydrophobic surface.

Other References

DeLuce et al., "Pasteless Electrode . . . ", Med. and Biol. Eng. and Comput., 1979, May, No. 3, 17, 387-390
Nilsson et al., "A Combined Microphone . . . ", Bio. Eng., vol. 8, No. 10, pp. 424-427, 431, Oct. 1973