Patent ID: 6956791

Claim:
An apparatus for receiving downhole acoustic signals, comprising: (a) at least one instrument housing made of an acoustically conductive material, and comprising a contacting portion contactable with a rotatable above-surface component used in borehole applications, in such a manner that acoustic signals from the rotatable above-surface component is conducted through the housing; (b) instruments inside the housing comprising a transducer for converting acoustic signals conducted through the housing into electric signals, a data acquisition circuit communicative with the transducer, and a wireless transmitter communicative with the data acquisition circuit and for wirelessly transmitting the electric signals to a remote destination; and (c) a clamping assembly attached to the instrument housing and having sufficient length and flexibility to enable the apparatus to surround the perimeter of the rotatable above-surface component, and comprising a fastener configured to removably fasten the apparatus to the rotatable above-surface component, thereby enabling the apparatus to operate while the rotatable above-surface component is rotating.