Patent ID: 8690799
Filing Date: 2014-04-08
Classification: A61B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An acoustic sensor for non-invasively outputting signals responsive to acoustic vibrations indicative of one or more physiological parameters of a medical patient, comprising: a sensor support including an acoustic cavity, the acoustic cavity formed in the sensor support; a first acoustic sensing element at least partially supported by the sensor support, the first acoustic sensing element stretched in tension from a first side of the acoustic cavity to a second opposing side of the acoustic cavity, the first acoustic sensing element configured to output a first signal responsive to acoustic vibrations, the first signal comprising a first physiological signal component and a first acoustic noise component; and a second acoustic sensing element at least partially supported by the sensor support, the second acoustic sensing element stretched in tension from a first side of the acoustic cavity to a second opposing side of the acoustic cavity, the second acoustic sensing element configured to output a second signal responsive to acoustic vibrations, the second signal comprising a second physiological signal component and a second acoustic noise component, the first and second acoustic sensing elements configured to provide the first and second signals to a noise attenuator configured to output a reduced noise signal having a higher signal to noise ratio than either of the first and second signals by at least partially constructively combining the first and second physiological signal components of the first and second signals and at least partially destructively combining the first and second acoustic noise components of the first and second signals, wherein the first and second sensing elements are arranged in a stacked configuration on the sensor support, and wherein the first and second sensing elements each comprise an outer portion of the stacked configuration and an inner portion of the stacked configuration, wherein the outer portions of the stack form a shielding barrier around the inner portions, the shielding barrier configured to reduce electromagnetic noise detected by the acoustic sensor.