Patent ID: 8715206

Claim:
An acoustic sensor configured to non-invasively detect acoustic vibrations associated with a medical patient, said acoustic vibrations indicative of one or more physiological parameters of the medical patient, said acoustic sensor comprising: at least one sound-sensing membrane configured to detect acoustic vibrations associated with a medical patient when the acoustic sensor is attached to the medical patient; and a sensor support defining an acoustic cavity and configured to support the at least one sensing membrane over the acoustic cavity, the acoustic cavity defined on a patient side of the sensor support by a first surface of the sensor support and by one or more side walls of the sensor support extending from the first surface and along a periphery of the acoustic cavity, the sensor support comprising multiple pressure equalization pathways formed in the one or more walls of the sensor support, at least two of the pressure equalization pathways formed in respective ones of the one or more walls that are positioned on opposite sides of the sensor support, the multiple pressure equalization pathways extending from the acoustic cavity to ambient air pressure.