Hybrid Ring Smart Stethoscope Foldable Design for Portability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stethoscopes are cumbersome and inconvenient for carrying, leading to risks of loss and damage, and lack portability for medical examinations.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid ring-type smart stethoscope with a connection part for the finger, an upper structure, and a lower structure equipped with a measurement module, hinge-coupling for angle adjustment, a detachable pulse blocking mechanism, separation detection sensor, and anti-slip features, allowing for convenient carrying and remote operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a conventional stethoscope is designed with a uniform shape for medical examination, then the auscultation function is effective, but the portability and convenience for carrying deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The stethoscope employs a foldable structure where the chestpiece and earpieces can be rotated and folded relative to each other, transforming from an extended examination configuration to a compact stored configuration. This dynamic structural change enables the device to adapt between effective auscultation mode and portable carrying mode, resolving the contradiction between functional effectiveness and portability.
2Ease of operation
If a conventional stethoscope is carried intentionally, then the auscultation function is available, but the risk of loss and damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stethoscope structure allows the earpiece assembly to be nested within or alongside the chestpiece through rotational folding mechanisms. This nesting capability enables the entire device to be collapsed into a compact form that occupies minimal space, reducing the likelihood of loss while maintaining full functionality when needed.
3Ease of operation
If the stethoscope structure is made compact for carrying, then the portability improves, but the auscultation effectiveness may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The stethoscope is divided into separable components including the chestpiece, earpieces, and connecting tubing, which can be independently positioned and adjusted. This segmentation allows the device to be compact during storage while enabling full extension and proper positioning during examination, ensuring auscultation effectiveness is not compromised by the compact design.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the stethoscope is designed with additional functional components, then the versatility improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stethoscope incorporates multiple functional capabilities including auscultation, pulse detection, and potential integration with mobile health applications through a single unified device structure. The foldable design itself serves both as a portability feature and as a mechanism that enables other functions, avoiding the need for separate dedicated devices and thereby managing complexity while enhancing versatility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables effective auscultation of pulse and cardiopulmonary sounds, facilitating convenient carrying and remote use, with improved accuracy in health status monitoring and detection of abnormal signs.
Implementation Method 1
a lower structure which is provided on the bottom of the connection part, and has a measurement module collecting body-related information, which includes the user's heartbeat or respiratory information, by coming into contact with the user
Implementation Method 2
an adhesive part is formed to form adhesive force by touching the user's skin
Implementation Method 3
a user pulse blocking means which blocks user's pulse vibration from being transmitted to a vibration module by absorbing the user's pulse vibration transmitted through the user's finger inserted into the hollow hole
Implementation Method 4
a separation detection sensor which derives separation information between the user's skin and the lower structure when the bottom portion of the lower structure having the measurement module is separated from the user's skin
Implementation Method 5
the connection part has the vibration module interworking with the separation detection sensor, such that the vibration module is vibrated based on the separation information derived from the separation detection sensor
Implementation Method 6
an anti-slip means which is provided at the bottom portion of the lower structure having the vibration module to prevent the lower structure from slipping on the user's skin
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a hybrid ring-type smart stethoscope and a method for producing the same, and the hybrid ring-type smart stethoscope includes: a connection part which has a hollow hole into which a user's finger is inserted; an upper structure which is provided on the top of the connection part; and a lower structure which is provided on the bottom of the connection part, and has a measurement module collecting body-related information, which includes the user's heartbeat or respiratory information, by coming into contact with the user. The method of producing a hybrid ring-shaped smart stethoscope includes the steps of: preparing a connection part for wearing on a user's finger; installing an upper structure on the top of the connection part in a foldable manner; and installing a lower structure on the bottom of the connection part in a foldable manner. Therefore, the hybrid ring-type smart stethoscope can effectively auscultate a user's pulse and cardiopulmonary sounds, and is conveniently portable on an ordinary day.