Abstract:
A device for auscultation of sounds generated by a patient having a stethoscope head operatively connected to a sound transference means and a smartphone operatively connected to the sound transference means, wherein the smartphone stores the sounds generated by a patient and displays a graphic representation of the sounds generated by the patient.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Clinical use of stethoscope is important in diagnostic medicine. Sounds generated by the heart are useful in diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases. Sounds from the lungs and bowels and other anatomical structures are also important in medical treatment. Traditionally, an acoustic stethoscope has been used to hear, or auscultate, sounds from patients&#39; anatomical structures and organs. 
         [0002]    Traditional uses of the acoustic stethoscope includes limitations. While a clinician can later record what is heard through the stethoscope, there is no record of the actual sounds generated by the patient&#39;s body. This can limit communication about the patient&#39;s medical condition, including the ability to teach and train healthcare professional. There remains a long-felt need for a suitable means of improving auscultation in the medical field. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  shows a device for auscultation in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  shows a top view of human chest anatomy showing placement of the device of  FIG. 1  for auscultation in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  shows a back view and side view of human anatomy showing placement of the device of  FIG. 1  for pulmonary auscultation in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 4  shows a front view of human anatomy showing placement of the device of  FIG. 1  for abdominal auscultation in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 5  shows an alternative embodiment of a device for auscultation in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Preliminarily, it should be noted that certain terms used herein, such as for example above, below, upper, lower left and right, are used to facilitate the description of the invention. Unless otherwise specified or made apparent by the context of the discussion, such terms and other directional terms should be interpreted with reference to the figure(s) under discussion. Such terms are not intended as a limitation on the position in which the invention or components may be used. Indeed, it is contemplated that the components of the invention may be easily positioned in any desired orientation for use. Likewise, numerical terms such as for example “first”, and “second” are not intended as a limitation or to imply a sequence, unless otherwise specified or made apparent by the context of the discussion. The term “operatively connected” is understood to include a linking together of the portions under consideration and may include a physical engagement and/or a functional or operational connection. 
         [0009]    Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in  FIG. 1  a device for improving auscultation of a patient indicated generally at  20 , according to the invention. The term “auscultation” may be understood to include listening to sounds arising within or around organs (such as the heart or lungs) or other anatomical structures as an aid to diagnosis and treatment. 
         [0010]    The device  20  shown includes a sound transference means  24  and a processor  28 . The sound transference means  24  shown includes a tube  36  secured to a head  32 . The tube  36  shown is generally hollow and flexible to allow ready positioning of the head  32  as desired by the user. The head  32  shown is a stethoscope head, a drum-like structure which includes a diaphragm which operates to receive and transmit physical vibration and sound waves. The head  32  may be constructed of metal or other suitable material and may be double-sided for use with patients of differing sizes and different areas of the body. The head  32  may have deep cups that capture sounds from the target area and may be ringed with a “chill ring” to keep the patient from being uncomfortable when touched by a cold metal head. 
         [0011]    The tube  36  may be any suitable length, including about forty-six inches. The tube  36  may be constructed of any suitable material, including non-latex based materials adapted for patients sensitive to latex. The illustrated sound transference means  24  includes a coupling  40  operatively connected to the tube  36 . The coupling  40  may vary in size and construction to operatively connect the head  32  and the tube  36  to a processor  28 . 
         [0012]    The processor  28  may be any suitable smartphone, notebook-style computer, portable computer, or the like. The device  20  may employ any computer or other apparatus adapted to receive and process information from the head  32 . The processor  28  may employ components to carry out instructions of a computer program. The processor  28  may also employ an application to process signals detected by the head  32 . The processor  28  may likewise store, retrieve and transmit information, including sound, as desired by the user. 
         [0013]    The device  20  may operate without the tube  36 . In such a configuration, the device  20  employs a head  32  adapted to transmit a signal to the processor  28  by means of ambient air and a wireless mechanism, such as radio waves instead of wires or cables to operatively connect the head  32  and the processor  28 . 
         [0014]    In operation, the head  32  of the device  20  may be placed on a patient as desired by a healthcare provider such as a nurse, veterinarian, physician, pharmacist, and the like. Referring now to  FIG. 2 , known anatomical locations may be employed on the human chest region for auscultation in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Shown are four common anatomical locations used by clinicians in auscultation of a patient—the aortic area  44 , the pulmonic area  48 , the tricuspid area  52 , and the mitral area  56 . Similarly, the back of the patient may be auscultated in an attempt to hear sounds generated by the pulmonary system. The abdomen may also be auscultated for bowel sounds and bruits in the renal arteries. 
         [0015]    Referring now primarily to  FIG. 3 , the left lung  60  and the right lung  64  are shown in a typical depiction of human anatomy. The head  32  of the device  20  may be placed on the left lung  60  and right lung  64  as desired by the user. Pulmonary sounds may vary in duration and tone with various states of infirmity and placement of the head  32  of the device  20 . The user of the device  20  learns, with experience and instruction, to associate certain sounds and changes in sound from the left lung  60  and the right lung  64  with pathology and changes in pulmonary function. 
         [0016]    Referring still to  FIG. 3 , the left lung  60  presents for auscultation with the head  32  of the device  20  at locations  68 ,  76 ,  84 ,  92 , and  100 . The right lung  64  similarly presents for auscultation at locations  72 ,  80 ,  88 ,  96 , and  104 . No particular sequence in placement of the head  32  of the device  20  for auscultation should be inferred from the numerical sequence supplied in  FIG. 3 . The right lung  64  may similarly presents for auscultation at locations  108 ,  112 ,  116 ,  120 —as viewed from the right side of the patient. 
         [0017]    Referring now primarily to  FIG. 4 , the device  20  is also suitable for auscultation at selected anatomical locations of the abdomen. Bruits, or turbulent-like sounds, may be heart at the abdomen aorta, indicated generally at  124 . The renal arteries  128 ,  132  may similarly provide sounds detected by the head  32  of the device  20 . The iliac arteries  136 ,  140  and the femoral arteries  144 ,  148  likewise can provide valuable diagnostic sounds as can be detected by the head  32  of the device  20 . 
         [0018]    Referring now primarily to  FIG. 5 , an alternate embodiment of the device  220  is shown. A head  232  of the device  220  shown is a drum-like structure which includes a diaphragm which operates to receive and transmit physical vibration and sound waves. The head  232  may be constructed of metal and may be double-sided for use with patients of differing sizes and different areas of the body. The head  232  may have deep cups that capture sounds from the target area and may be ringed with a “chill ring” to keep the patient from being uncomfortable when touched by the cold metal head. 
         [0019]    The head  232  is operatively connected to a processor  228 , which may be any suitable smartphone, notebook-style computer, portable computer, or the like. The device  220  may employ any computer or other apparatus adapted to receive and process information from the head  232 . The processor  228  may employ components to carry out instructions of a computer program. The processor  228  may also employ an application to process signals detected by the head  232 . The processor  228  may likewise store, retrieve and transmit information, including sound, as desired by the user. 
         [0020]    The head  232  may be operatively connected to the processor  228  by means of electromagnetic radiation. The head  232  may include a suitable power source, transmitter, and/or amplifier. Without limitation and for purposes of illustration, a Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or other suitable wireless local area networks (WLAN) or wireless personal area networks (WPAN) or the like may be used to operatively connect the head  232  to the processor  228 . 
         [0021]    The processor  228  may be operatively connected to a speaker  236  and/or graphic display  240  for presentation to an audience  244 . The graphic display  240  may be a light emitting diode monitor, liquid crystal display monitor, tangible printed strip, or other suitable display means. The audience  244  may be any suitable number of persons, such as students, clinicians, and the like. The processor  28 ,  228  may be operatively connected to a storage device  248  for later viewing, retrieval and/or additional processing. The storage drive may be of any suitable sort including but not limited to hard drives, USB drives, solid state, removable storage, RAM, mass storage device, flash memory chips, or the like. 
         [0022]    The device  20 ,  220  may be employed in a wide variety of settings for many purposes. Standard stethoscopes provide clinical information to only one listener, do not store the sounds generated by the patient, and do not provide for optimal teaching and training of students and newer clinicians. The device  20  may process the sounds from a patient&#39;s body, display graphic representations of the sounds, convert the sounds to electronic format, store the sounds, amplify the sounds, and transmit the sounds for remote storage, use by a listener, and other uses. 
         [0023]    The device  20 ,  220  may employee one or more applications, also known as “apps,” in conjunction with the processor  228  to facilitate operation in the clinical or teaching setting. The applications may be used by the processor  28 ,  228  in conjunction with other components to process sounds generated by the patient&#39;s body. The applications may also be employed to generate auditory or graphic representations of the sounds generated by the patient&#39;s body. 
         [0024]    The invention may be made from any suitable material and by any suitable method. The invention may be adapted to fit a wide variety of uses. It will be appreciated that the components of the invention may be modified as needed to accommodate varying sizes and shapes and applications. 
         [0025]    It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The disclosure may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including equivalent constructions. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract and disclosure are neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor are they intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.