Tunable Stethoscope Diaphragm with Moveable Rim Features
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current stethoscope diaphragms lack tunable technology to seamlessly switch between low and high frequency sounds without physically turning the chestpiece, leading to potential loss of heartbeat impressions and increased defect rates due to separate manufacturing of diaphragms and rims.
Innovation Solution
A tunable stethoscope diaphragm design featuring a disc and rim with a plurality of features extending from the inner circumference, allowing for improved acoustical stiffness and support, and a dual-sided chestpiece with moveable diaphragms that can be switched between outer and inner positions to alter sound attenuation, enabling easy switching between low and high frequency sounds without changing surface contour or lateral tension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate pieces are used for diaphragm and rim, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to alignment issues and increased defect rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the diaphragm and rim into a single unitary piece manufactured as one integrated component. This eliminates the interface between separate pieces, preventing alignment issues and reducing defect rates while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through the ability to produce unitary structures with varying geometries.
2Device complexity
If tunable technology is not implemented, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of information increases due to loss of heartbeat impressions when turning the chestpiece
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a moveable diaphragm within the chestpiece that can be positioned in different locations along the sound path. This dynamic positioning allows the diaphragm to be adjusted to optimize capture of different frequency ranges (low and high) without requiring the physician to physically turn the chestpiece, thereby maintaining continuous heartbeat impressions while enabling frequency tuning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the diaphragm structure into functional zones (different portions of the unitary diaphragm- rim structure can have different properties) while maintaining a single integrated component. This allows adaptability for different frequency ranges through design variations in the unitary structure without requiring multiple separate assembly steps, reducing assembly complexity while preserving versatility.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention is a stethoscope diaphragm including a disc and a rim. The rim includes a plurality of features extending from an inner circumference of the rim.