Patent Publication Number: US-2004048539-A1

Title: Stethoscope cover

Description:
[0001] There are no related applications.  
       [0002] This invention was not federally funded.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] The present invention relates to a cover for the head of a stethoscope. More particularly, the present invention relates to ornamental stethoscope covers for a stethoscope head. The stethoscope cover serves to alleviate a child&#39;s fear of medical personnel. It can be laundered and reused. The cover also maintains the temperature of the stethoscope head at a comfortable range.  
       [0004] The stethoscope is a medical diagnostic instrument for listening to body functions of an individual being examined by medical personnel. Uses for a stethoscope include listening to respiratory, cardiac and fetal sounds. The stethoscope is used frequently in hospitals, doctor&#39;s offices and emergency rooms.  
       [0005] Hospital visits can be scary for pediatric patients. Children needing medical attention may experience fear and anxiety when visiting medical facilities. Unfamiliar surroundings, faces and devices can stimulate sympathetic nervous responses that may include increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, sweating and emotional outbursts. These sympathetic nervous responses may lead to problems such as misdiagnosing illnesses.  
       [0006] To help rectify the problems mentioned above, health care professionals find it advantageous to relieve a child&#39;s fear and anxiety before and throughout a physical examination or procedure. Doing so allows the child to feel at ease and in turn yields more accurate information about the child&#39;s health. The present invention may be used to relieve a child&#39;s fears by causing the child to focus his attention on something other than the setting of the examination or procedure. The cover may include an ornament shaped as a familiar object or cartoon character. Alternatively, the cover may be formed in the shape of a familiar object or cartoon character.  
       [0007] Many patients experience physical discomfort when a physician places a relatively cold face of a stethoscope head against the patient&#39;s body during examination procedures. The present invention helps to alleviate this discomfort by maintaining the temperature of the stethoscope head at a temperature level that is higher than other stethoscope heads without the cover.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008] The present invention is an ornamental cover for a head of a stethoscope. The cover may include an attached ornament that may attract a child&#39;s attention during a medical exam. The ornament may be affixed to the cover in any manner such as sewing, embedding, embroidering, or otherwise attaching it with an adhesive.  
       [0009] In the preferred embodiment, the cover comprises a series of interlocking woven loops that form a parabola or bowl shape. The cover is large enough to accommodate the head of a stethoscope. The cover typically includes an outwardly bulging portion located approximately halfway between the portion of the cover to which the ornament is attached and the mouth of the cover.  
       [0010] It is an object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for preventing thermal discomfort to a patient being examined with a stethoscope.  
       [0011] It is another object of the invention to provide an inexpensive and easy to use article of manufacture that thermally insulates a stethoscope head while it is not in use.  
       [0012] It is a further object of the invention to provide a durable rugged reusable stethoscope cover that is washable for decontamination purposes.  
       [0013] It is another object of the invention to provide a stethoscope cover that alleviates children&#39;s fears of medical devices and personnel.  
       [0014] Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the included claims when taken in connection with the previous discussion and the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0015]FIG. 1 is a prior art stethoscope.  
     [0016]FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of first embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0017]FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the first embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0018]FIG. 4 is a back elevation view the first embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0019]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the grid work.  
     [0020]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention.  
     [0021]FIG. 7 is a back view of FIG. 6. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0022] In the preferred embodiment, the stethoscope cover comprises a series of knitted loops or knots that form grid work. The cover has a closed end to which an ornament may be attached. An opposite end of the cover includes a mouth or opening for receiving the head of the stethoscope. The mouth comprises a lip that may include an elastic portion for helping to bias the mouth towards a closed position and thereby fix the cover to the stethoscope head. The elastic portion may be rubberized elastic, elasticized yarn, or the like.  
     [0023] One or more pieces of yarn may be used to manufacture the invention. A piece of yarn is knitted together to form parabolic-shaped grid work that comprises the cover. To achieve this, a piece of yarn is knitted into a chain by overlapping the piece of yarn on itself. After a chain of sufficient length, it is woven into several other chains to create the grid work. The grids that comprise the cover differ in size. In the preferred embodiment, the end of the cover to which an ornament is attached comprises grids that are smaller and closer together than other parts of the cover except the lip. Typically, these grids are substantially the same size as those grids that comprise the lip. The grids of the mouth are larger than those of either the lip or the end of the cover to which the ornament is attached. However, the grids of the mouth are smaller than those in a region of the cover between the mouth and the end of the cover to which the ornament is attached. Thus, the circumference in a region of the cover between the mouth and the end having the ornament attached thereto is larger than either that of the mouth or end to which the ornament is attached.  
     [0024] In another embodiment, the cover may comprise a fabric or other suitable material having an ornamental design or appearance such as popular cartoon characters. A design may be embroidered on the fabric or an ornament may be affixed to the fabric.  
     [0025] In an additional embodiment, the cover is shaped like the head of an animal or cartoon character. The head includes a recessed portion for receiving the head of the stethoscope and a mouth through which the stethoscope head passes. Thus, the head of the stethoscope is inserted into the cover in a manner similar to the technique mentioned above with respect to the first embodiment. The base of the animal head may include an elastic portion for holding the cover onto the stethoscope. The animal head cover may also include a tether for ensuring that the cover will not be lost if it is not secured to the stethoscope properly.  
     [0026]FIG. 1 is a drawing of a stethoscope  11 . The stethoscope  11  includes earpieces  17  for transferring sound from the stethoscope  11  to a user&#39;s ears. A pair of ear tubes  15  connect between the earpieces  17  and an undivided tube extend  19 . The undivided tube extend  19  is attached to head  13  at an end opposite ear tubes  15 . The head  13  typically includes a diaphragm and/or a bell portion.  
     [0027]FIG. 2 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the stethoscope cover  1 . The stethoscope cover  1  includes an ornament  21 . In this drawing the ornament  21  is in the shape of a ruler. However, ornament  21  may be any shape and is typically attached to the stethoscope cover  1  by sewing it to the cover  1  or passing a part of cover  1  through a hole (not shown) provided in ornament  21 .  
     [0028]FIG. 3 is a side view of the first embodiment of the present invention. As mentioned above, cover  1  comprises grids  9 . The grids  9  located near the closed end  5  of cover  1  are very small and close together. The grids  9  located on side  25  between closed end  5  and mouth  3  are the largest ones that comprise cover  1 . The grids  9  that comprise mouth  3  and lip  23  have a smaller opening than those comprising side  25 . Lip  23  defines mouth  3 .  
     [0029]FIG. 4 is a back view of stethoscope cover  1  taken along plane Z-Z of FIG. 3. A mouth  3  is provided in the cover  1  for allowing the head  13  to pass there through. The mouth  3  includes a lip  23  that helps the mouth  3  to retain its shape. As previously mentioned, the lip  23  may include an elasticized portion.  
     [0030]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of grid  9 . The grid  9  is defined by sides A, B, C and D. Sides A and D are woven through sides B and C or visa versa. By weaving shorter sides, the area of the grid is reduced in size. Likewise, by weaving longer sides, the area of the grid may be increased in size.  
     [0031]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention. The cover  41  of the second embodiment is shaped like the head of an animal. In FIG. 6, the animal head is that of an elephant.  
     [0032] As shown in FIG. 7, the cover  41  includes an elasticized mouth  45  for accepting the head of the stethoscope and securing the cover to the stethoscope  11 . The cover  41  includes a recess  43  for accommodating the head of the stethoscope. A tether  31  may also be provided for securing the cover  41  to the stethoscope  11  when the cover is not on the head of the stethoscope. The tether  31  is equipped with complementary hook-and-latch strips  39  for securing the tether to the stethoscope  11 . The free end of the tether is wrapped about the stethoscope such that the complementary hook-and-latch strips  39  overlap one another.  
     [0033] In the preferred embodiment, the cover is knitted by looping several knots together tightly to form the portion of the cover to which the ornament is attached. Knitting is continued in a circular fashion until a series of loops are tightly wound together to produce a surface area large enough to support an ornament. The size of the loops is increased to produce intersecting chains that create grids having large openings. A series of large grids produce an area having a large diameter for accommodating the head of the stethoscope. The size of the grids is then decreased to form a mouth through which the head of the stethoscope passes. A lip is produced that comprises grids having substantially the same size as those of the portion of the cover to which the ornament is affixed.  
     [0034] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction illustrated and described above, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. For example, the woven material comprising the cover mentioned above in the preferred embodiment may be substituted for a cloth or other type of material that may be suitable for practicing the invention.