Stethoscope

Abstract

To provide a stethoscope that can be sterilized or disinfected.SOLUTION: Provided is a stethoscope including a rim to which a diaphragm is bonded or crimped such that the stethoscope can be sterilized or disinfected, and a sound collection part. The sound collection part can be inserted to the rim. The stethoscope further includes a first seal member that seals a connection part of the sound collection part and the rim. The stethoscope has a waterproof function.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a stethoscope. [Background technology]

[0002] In the above technical field, Patent Document 1 discloses a sterilizable stethoscope. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3163594 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology described in the above document merely separates the sound collector and the reproducer, and a conventional stethoscope cannot be used. An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for solving the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the stethoscope of the present invention comprises: a rim to which a diaphragm is bonded or pressed; A sound collection unit; A stethoscope comprising: The sound collecting portion is insertable into the rim, A first seal member that seals a connection between the sound collecting portion and the rim; This is a stethoscope that further includes: Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, a stethoscope that can be disinfected or sterilized can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a stethoscope according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an assembly diagram showing the configuration of a stethoscope according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a stethoscope according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of a stethoscope according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a stethoscope according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the components described in the following embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0009] [First embodiment] A stethoscope 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the stethoscope 100. As shown in Fig. 1, the stethoscope 100 includes at least a rim 101 and a sound collecting section 102 as a chest piece, and typically further includes a binaural 104. A diaphragm 111 is bonded or pressure-bonded to the rim 101. The sound collecting section 102 can be inserted into the rim 101, and includes a seal member 103 that seals the connection between the sound collecting section 102 and the rim 101.

[0010] Further, a binaural 104 having a tube 141 connected to the sound collecting unit 102 and a seal member 105 for sealing the connection between the protruding tube 121 of the sound collecting unit 102 and the tube 141 are provided. The seal member 105 is made of a material having heat fusion or heat shrinkage. The seal member 105 is in the form of two cylinders of different diameters connected together. The cylinder at one end is configured to have a diameter larger than the diameter of the tube 141 by about 1 mm, and the cylinder at the other end is configured to have a diameter larger than the diameter of the protruding tube 121 by about 1 mm. The rim 101 may be provided with a ceramic thin plate provided with straightening folds instead of the diaphragm 111. In that case, it is considered that the air is straightened and sound can be collected efficiently.

[0011] FIG. 2 is an external view for explaining each part of the stethoscope 100. The rim 101 is cylindrical with a thread on the inner wall. The sound collecting part 102 has a connection part 122 with a thread on the outer circumferential surface, and is configured so that the connection part 122 can be screwed to the rim 101 and bonded to be integrated. The seal member 103 is donut-shaped, and is attached to the upper surface of the connection part 122 while passing the protruding tube 121 through the opening 131 of the seal member 103, and is fixed by thermocompression to the boundary part between the rim 101 and the connection part 122. This makes it possible to prevent water, alcohol, etc. from entering the inside of the stethoscope 100 from the connection part between the rim 101 and the sound collecting part 102. Note that, as an example, a configuration in which the sound collecting part 102 is screwed to the rim 101 is shown here, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the sound collecting part 102 may be inserted into an opening provided in the rim 101.

[0012] The protruding pipe 121 is integrated with the sound collecting part 102 by welding. Here, the protruding pipe 121 is designed to extend from the side of the sound collecting part 102, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the protruding pipe 121 may extend from the top surface of the sound collecting part 102.

[0013] The assembly is performed in the order of protruding tube 121, sealing member 105, and binaural 104. That is, first, protruding tube 121 is inserted into the small diameter end of sealing member 105, then tube 141 is inserted into the large diameter end of sealing member 105, and these three are thermally fused together using a dryer or the like. This completes the sealing between sound collecting unit 102 and binaural 104, and prevents water, alcohol, etc. from entering stethoscope 100 from the connection between sound collecting unit 102 and binaural 104 even after sterilization or disinfection.

[0014] After the protruding pipe 121 and the tube 141 are connected, the sealing member 105 may be fixed by heat compression bonding so as to cover the connection portion. The method is not limited to heat compression bonding or thermal fusion bonding, and the sealing member 105 may be bonded by an adhesive.

[0015] When replacing the rim 101, a cutter is used to make a slit in the seal member 103, and then the rim 101 is rotated. When replacing the binaural 104, a slit is made in the seal member 105 at the connection portion between the binaural 104 and the protruding tube 121, and the seal member 105 is removed.

[0016] By configuring it as described above, the entire stethoscope (chest piece and the connection part of the chest piece) can be made waterproof, and the part that comes into contact with the subject of auscultation can be washed with water. It is also resistant to ethanol, so it can be sterilized and disinfected repeatedly.

[0017] [Second embodiment] Next, a stethoscope according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the stethoscope according to this embodiment. The stethoscope according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the sound collection unit 302 includes a microphone 321 therein and is electrically connected to a sound processing device 304 instead of a binaural device. Other configurations and operations are similar to those of the first embodiment, so the same configurations and operations are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0018] For example, a condenser microphone may be provided inside the sound collecting unit 302. The condenser microphone picks up low tones well, so that heart sounds can be clearly heard.

[0019] The audio processing device 304 may have a speaker, or may be configured to transmit audio to earphones using wireless technology such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). Audio and data may also be uploaded to a server via Internet communication. A heart rate may be calculated and displayed based on the output from the microphone 321. Here, the audio processing device 304 is connected instead of a binaural device, but this is not limited thereto. For example, an audio processing device 304 having a wireless communication function may be provided near the microphone 321 (inside the chest piece), and a conventional binaural device may be connected to the sound collection unit 302 so that heart sounds and breathing sounds can be heard directly (analog-digital hybrid).

[0020] In addition, a switch 312 composed of a piezoelectric element, a pressure sensor, or the like is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rim 301. The switch 312 switches the sound processing device 304 between a heart sound mode (low-pitched tones dominate) and a breath sound mode (mid-high pitch tones dominate). The heart sound mode (low-pitched tones dominate) and the breath sound mode (mid-high pitch tones dominate) may be switched between each time the switch 312 is pressed, or the breath sound mode may be switched to only while the switch 312 is pressed strongly. Furthermore, the microphone 321 and the sound processing device 304 may be turned on and off by pressing the switch 312 for a long time. In addition, the volume of the sound output from the sound processing device 304 may be increased or decreased by pressing the switch 312 continuously.

[0021] Here, the switch 312 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rim 301, but it may be provided on the surface of the diaphragm 311. In that case, if the switch 312 is a pressure sensor, it becomes possible to switch the mode so that the heart sound mode is set by lightly pressing the stethoscope 300 against the patient, and the breath sound mode is set by pressing the stethoscope 300 firmly against the patient.

[0022] The switch 312 may be provided on the top surface 322 of the sound collecting unit 302 or on the side surface 323 of the sound collecting unit 302 .

[0023] Also, if the switch 312 does not sense pressure for a certain period of time or more, the sound processing device 304 may be controlled to enter a sleep mode. If the switch 312 continues to sense pressure for a certain period of time or more (for example, 10 minutes), the sound processing device 304 may enter a sleep mode. In other words, the sound processing device 304 can enter a sleep mode by pressing the switch 312 for a long time by a doctor. For example, when the stethoscope 300 is left on a desk, the switch 312 may remain on due to its own weight or some other factor. In that case, the sound processing device 304 may enter a sleep mode by detecting the passage of a certain period of time. Furthermore, the sound processing device 304 may be provided with a mode for pre-operating a piezoelectric element as the switch 312 provided inside the diaphragm 311 to heat the sound processing device. This can prevent the patient from feeling cold.

[0024] 4 is a flow chart for explaining the control procedure of the stethoscope according to the present embodiment. In step S401, the process waits until pressure on the switch 312 is detected. When pressure on the switch is detected, it is determined that a doctor or nurse is holding the stethoscope, and the process proceeds to step S403. In step S403, it is determined whether the pressure detected by the switch 312 is greater than a predetermined value X, and if it is greater than or equal to the predetermined value X, it is determined to be the heart sound mode, and if it is less than or equal to the predetermined value X, it is determined to be the breath sound mode, and the sound processing device 304 is operated in each mode. In other words, it is switched between high-pass filtering and low-pass filtering.

[0025] Next, proceed to step S409, where the pressure is compared with a predetermined value Y which is smaller than the predetermined value X, and if it is smaller than the predetermined value Y, proceed to step S411. In step S411, it is determined that the doctor or nurse has released the stethoscope, and if a predetermined time (e.g., one minute) has elapsed in this state, proceed to step S413 and enter sleep mode.

[0026] As described above, according to this embodiment, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment, the effect of enabling mode switching is obtained.

[0027] Alternatively, the stethoscope may be one in which the power can be turned on and off, the mute function can be turned on and off, recording can be started and stopped, internet communication can be turned on and off, and connection to an online medical treatment system or an analysis system can be turned on and off by operating the switch 312. Furthermore, the switch 312 may be operated to upload heart sound data to a server, digitize, graph and analyze the heart sound data, switch the display content of the sound processing device 304, and turn on and off the above-mentioned heating function.

[0028] By operating switch 312, a heating device such as a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater, a ceramic heater, or a silicon rubber heater provided inside the diaphragm can be driven to heat the diaphragm, chest piece, etc., and quickly dry them after washing with water or disinfection. Switch 312 as a piezoelectric element may be activated to generate heat.

[0029] Because it is waterproof, even if the stethoscope becomes hot due to continuous use, it can be quickly cooled by immersing it in cold water, allowing medical treatment or research to continue uninterrupted.

[0030] [Third embodiment] Next, a stethoscope according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the stethoscope according to this embodiment. The stethoscope according to this embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that it is provided with at least three switches in total on the outer peripheral surface and the diaphragm side surface of the rim 501. The other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the same configurations and operations are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0031] Switches 512, 513 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the rim may detect contact with two fingers of the user, and when both become active, start up the microphone 321 and the audio processing device 304. Switches (pressure sensors) 515, 516 provided on the surface of the rim 501 facing the diaphragm 111 may also be used to switch between the heart sound mode and the breath sound mode. Furthermore, a light sensor or a temperature sensor may be provided on the surface of the rim 501 facing the diaphragm 111 to detect the blood oxygen concentration or body temperature.

[0032] [Other embodiments] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, systems or devices that combine the separate features included in each embodiment in any way are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0033] The present invention may be applied to a system consisting of multiple devices, or to a single device. Furthermore, the present invention is also applicable to a case where an information processing program for implementing the functions of the embodiments is supplied to a system or device and executed by a built-in processor. In order to implement the functions of the present invention with a computer, a program installed on a computer, a medium storing the program, a server for downloading the program, and a processor for executing the program are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In particular, at least a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the processing steps included in the above-mentioned embodiments is included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. a rim to which a diaphragm is bonded or pressed; A sound collection unit; A stethoscope comprising: The sound collecting portion is insertable into the rim, The stethoscope further comprises a first sealing member that seals a connection between the sound collecting portion and the rim.

2. A binaural or audio processing device having a tube connected to the sound collecting unit; a second seal member that seals a connection between the sound collection unit and the tube or the sound processing device; 10. The stethoscope of claim 1 further comprising:

3. 2. The stethoscope according to claim 1, wherein the sound collecting section is a microphone, and a switch is provided on the sound collecting section or the rim.

4. 4. The stethoscope according to claim 3, further comprising a sound processing device for switching between a low-pitched heart sound mode and a mid- and high-pitched breath sound mode in response to the pressure detected by the switch.

5. 5. The stethoscope according to claim 4, wherein the switch is provided on a surface having the diaphragm, and switches to a breath sound mode when the stethoscope is lightly placed against the patient, and to a heart sound mode when the stethoscope is firmly placed against the patient.

6. 4. The stethoscope of claim 3, wherein the switch goes into a sleep mode if no pressure is sensed for a certain period of time.

7. 4. The stethoscope according to claim 3, wherein the switch goes into a sleep mode if it continues to sense pressure for a certain period of time or more.

8. 4. The stethoscope according to claim 3, further comprising a piezoelectric element as the switch, and a mode for pre-operating the piezoelectric element and heating the stethoscope.

9. 4. The stethoscope of claim 3, wherein at least two of the switches are provided on an outer circumferential surface of the rim, and when both of the at least two switches are activated, the microphone is turned on.

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