Patent ID: 8348852

Claim:
A method for acquiring, externally or internally, a subject's anatomical S 1 , S 2 , S 3 , S 4 heart-sound information useful in performing a cardio investigation and in producing a related utility output involving that subject comprising placing an acoustic sensor on or within the subject's anatomy at a selected anatomical, the acoustic sensor comprising an acoustical-to-electrical-output transducer specifically having a known, nominal, mechanical resonance frequency which lies within the known range of the S 1 , S 2 , S 3 , S 4 heart-sound frequencies, and being capable of providing a sensor electrical output, using a wave generator having a wave generator electrical output, stimulating the transducer at a frequency which is close to its known, nominal, mechanical resonance frequency, coupling to a frequency comparator the electrical outputs of the transducer and of the wave generator, observing over time any time-based differences which exist between the two, thus-compared outputs, interpreting such observed differences as being representations of the subject's S 1 , S 2 , S 3 , S 4 heart sounds, and from such interpreted differences, producing a utility output associated with the subject.