Electronic stethoscope

Abstract

An electronic stethoscope having several modes of operation to process acoustic signals to provide filtered signals useful for diagnosis. In one mode of operation the stethoscope substantially provides only acoustic signals generated by biological activity of the heart. In another mode of operation, the acoustic stethoscope substantially provides only acoustic signals generated by biological activity of the lungs. In another mode of operation, the electronic stethoscope disproportionately amplifies abnormal heart sounds and normal heart sounds to enhance diagnosis of heart abnormalities. The electronic stethoscope is operated in a manner similar to a conventional acoustic stethoscope and has similar spectral characteristics, thus allowing a user with acoustic stethoscope experience to easily use the electronic stethoscope.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11 / 483,152, filed Jul. 7, 2006, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11 / 269,128, filed Nov. 8, 2005, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11 / 077,540, filed Mar. 9, 2005, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10 / 872,143, filed Jun. 18, 2004, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10 / 646,521, filed Aug. 22, 2003, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10 / 313,967, filed Dec. 6, 2002, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10 / 128,149, filed Apr. 23, 2002, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09 / 258,263, filed Feb. 25, 1999, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09 / 127,992, filed Aug. 3, 1998, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08 / 685,451, filed Jul. 19, 1996, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The electronic stethoscope provides enhanced diagnostic information with familiar spectral characteristics, improved power efficiency, reduced weight, and intuitive operation, allowing for clear differentiation of heart and lung sounds, including murmurs, while maintaining comfort and ease of use.

Problems solved by technology

Despite the availability of electronic stethoscopes, they do not appear to be widely used by medical personnel, such as doctors, nurses, and emergency medical technicians.

Although the reasons for this lack of acceptance are not completely clear, one problem with some presently available electronic stethoscopes may be that they do not reproduce acoustic signals resulting from the operation of various body organs in a manner that is familiar to a trained user.

Other problems with some presently available electronic stethoscopes are that they consume too much power, weigh too much, are too large, or require a user to change the manner in which the stethoscope is used as compared to a conventional acoustic stethoscope.

Some conventional electronic stethoscopes do not reproduce heart and lung sounds with the same spectral characteristics as acoustic stethoscopes.

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