Patent ID: 6878118

Claim:
An esophageal stethoscope assembly, comprising: a tubular flexible body having a proximal end and a distal end, and including an acoustic input region defined on the tubular flexible body toward the distal end; a carrier member separate from the tubular flexible body and engageable with the tubular flexible body, wherein the carrier member includes one or more devices for sensing and/or controlling a condition from or within the esophagus of a patient, wherein the tubular flexible body extends along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the carrier member defines an axial passage and includes wall structure defining a pair of spaced ends, wherein the space between the spaced ends of the wall structure is in communication with the axial passage, and wherein the carrier member is engageable with the tubular flexible body by application of a push-on force transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tubular flexible body such that the tubular flexible body passes through the space between the wall structure ends and into the axial passage of the carrier member, wherein the carrier member wall structure is formed of a resilient material such that the wall structure is separable to enlarge the space between the wall structure ends to allow the tubular flexible body to pass therethrough into the axial passage of the carrier member, and wherein the resiliency of the wall structure is operable to thereafter engage the wall structure with the tubular flexible body; and a retainer structure interposed between the carrier member and the tubular flexible body for maintaining the carrier member in a predetermined axial position relative to the tubular flexible body.