Mobile Phone Stethoscope System for Standardized Auscultation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current diagnostic methods rely heavily on physician intuition and can lead to variations in diagnosis, causing patient uncertainty and potential misdiagnosis due to differences in interpretation of auscultated sounds.

Innovation Solution

Integration of a stethoscopic system into a mobile phone, including a high-performance microphone, filter, amplifier, A/D converter, and data comparison unit, allowing for self-diagnosis and remote transmission of diagnostic data to a hospital, enabling accurate and standardized illness identification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a stethoscopic system is integrated into a mobile phone, then self-diagnosis and remote medical consultation become convenient and accessible, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconvenience of self-diagnosisVSAvoidcomplexity of integrated system

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines a stethoscopic system with a mobile phone by integrating a microphone, filter, amplifier, A/D converter, and data comparison unit into the mobile phone's existing structure. This merging allows the mobile phone to perform both communication functions and medical diagnostic functions, making self-diagnosis convenient while utilizing the mobile phone's existing processing capabilities to minimize additional complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile phone is designed to serve multiple functions: traditional communication (calling, messaging) and medical diagnosis (auscultation, sound analysis, remote consultation). By making the device universal, the patent eliminates the need for separate dedicated stethoscope devices, improving ease of operation while distributing the complexity across a multi-functional platform

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If physician intuition is replaced by electronic diagnosis, then diagnostic consistency improves, but the loss of nuanced medical judgment occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconsistency of diagnosisVSAvoidloss of medical intuition

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses standardized digital auscultating sound data as an intermediary between the physical auscultated sound and the diagnostic conclusion. The system compares the converted digital signals with pre-stored standardized data representing various medical conditions, providing consistent diagnostic results based on objective criteria rather than subjective physician intuition, while still capturing the essential diagnostic information

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transforms analog auscultated sound waves into digital signals through A/D conversion, and then compares these digital parameters against standardized reference data. By changing the parameter representation from analog to digital and using standardized comparison, the system achieves diagnostic consistency while preserving the essential acoustic information needed for medical judgment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

Facilitates convenient, accurate self-diagnosis and remote medical consultation, reducing variability in diagnosis and enhancing patient trust and treatment outcomes by providing standardized diagnostic data through a mobile device.

Implementation Method 1

analog wave signals of the auscultated sound data collected from an auscultating microphone

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic to electrical conversion:

Implementation Method 2

a filter unit for filtering noises mixed with an auscultated sound

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSignal filtering: Filter (electronic)

Implementation Method 3

an amplifier unit for amplifying the auscultated sound

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSignal amplification: Magnetic Amplifier

Implementation Method 4

an A/D converter unit for converting analog wave data of the auscultated sound into digital auscultated sound data

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAnalog to digital conversion:

Data Source

PatentUS8200277B2Mobile phone with a stethoscope

Publication Date: 2012.06.12 LEE BYUNG HOON

AI summary

Disclosed herein is a mobile phone with a stethoscopic function. The mobile phone with a stethoscopic function, of which the mobile phone has communication data processing functions, comprises a stethoscopic microphone which is arranged in a body of the mobile phone; and a stethoscopic system which is embedded in the body of the mobile phone. The auscultated sound data obtained from the medical examination made on the part of a human body where the stethoscopic microphone is contacted are converted into digital auscultated sound data. The digital auscultated sound data identifies corresponding sound data in the pre-stored standardized digital auscultating sound data through search and comparison within allowable errors of data. With the identified data, a diagnostic data is made available. The diagnostic data may be stored and transmitted to a physician using the communication function of the mobile phone.