Patent ID: 6661897
Filing Date: 2003-12-09
Classification: A61B,H04R

Abstract:
An 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 make contact with the body and vibrate in response to body sounds; a fixed conductive plate substantially parallel to the diaphragm, mounted within the housing, the conductive plate being positioned at a distance about or exceeding 0.1 mm from the diaphragm, the diaphragm conductive surface and fixed conductive plate forming two plates of a capacitor and connected in the form of an electrical capacitance to electrical circuitry; and a capacitance-to-electrical conversion means to convert diaphragm-plate capacitance changes due to body sound vibration to electrical signals.