JP4953367B2 - Stethoscope accessories and stethoscope system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an accessory attached to a stethoscope for listening to a patient's breathing sound and heart sound.

  In recent years, asthma has gradually increased, and the total number of inpatients and outpatients has reached about 1.1 million since 1993 (2002 patient survey report: Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Minister's Secretariat Statistics Information Bureau, Demographic and Health Statistics Division) Hen). It is pointed out that not only idiopathic interstitial pneumonia that develops in 3-5 people per 100,000 people, but also interstitial pneumonia secondary to collagen disease or drugs is increasing. Asthma and interstitial pneumonia each have inherent side noises such as whistle sounds and haircut sounds, and determination of the presence or absence of such side noises is indispensable for diagnosis of each disease.

  The number of patients with valvular disease is also increasing, and according to a survey by the Thoracic Surgery Society, 11837 patients undergo valve surgery in the year 2003 (Committee of Science, JpJTCS. 517-536). , 2005). On the other hand, the replaced valve has a characteristic heart sound. For this reason, examining the heart sounds after valve replacement in detail helps to estimate the deterioration or damage of the replaced valve.

Auscultation is a physical examination that is always performed for patients with asthma and valvular diseases during a general outpatient or hospitalization. As for stethoscopes, for example, electronic stethoscopes that use filters to emphasize heart sounds, lung sounds, etc., and electronic stethoscopes that digitize speech to emphasize necessary bands and attenuate or eliminate unnecessary parts are known. (Patent Documents 1 to 4). Also, by utilizing the fact that heart sounds are heard at a frequency lower than 250 Hz and lung sounds are heard at a frequency higher than 250 Hz, the heart sound and the breathing sound are emphasized separately, and a digital auscultation sound is used. Has also been devised (Patent Document 5). The system is used for waveform analysis on a computer, registration, and telemedicine via the Internet.
Patent Publication 2001-333899 Patent Publication 2001-327488 Patent Publication 10-24033 Patent publication 11-508463 Patent Publication 6-47005

  The above-described technology can be applied not only to home medical care but also to ICU, CCU and the like. However, it is not sufficient for use as a patient service in outpatient clinics in actual clinical settings.

  In recent years, the recognition that the medical field is also a service industry has permeated. There is also a background that patients also want to fully grasp their own diseases. However, in an actual clinical setting, patients have no opportunity to hear their own breathing sounds and heart sounds. There is a strong demand for a system that allows doctors and patients to share information about auscultatory sounds in actual clinical settings such as outpatients and hospitalization.

  On the other hand, since doctors have their own familiar stethoscope, it is not realistic to change the stethoscope used for diagnosis to another instrument or device.

  Therefore, in view of the above background, the present invention provides a stethoscope accessory and a stethoscope system that can continue to use a stethoscope that a doctor has and can provide a patient with the auscultatory sound that the doctor is listening to. For the purpose.

  The stethoscope accessory of the present invention is a stethoscope accessory that is detachably attached to a tube between a chest piece of an stethoscope and an ear canal, and one end is inserted into the tube and the other end is for attachment. A tube connected to the chestpiece via a tube, a microphone that collects sound transmitted through the tube, an auscultation sound data transmission unit that transmits auscultation sound data collected by the microphone to an output device, and A housing that houses the microphone and the auscultation sound data transmission unit, and that houses the tube in a form in which both ends of the tube protrude outward.

  With this configuration, since the sound transmitted through the inside of the tube inserted into the tube of the stethoscope is collected, it is possible to collect almost the same sound as that heard from the stethoscope. Then, by transmitting the auscultatory sound data collected by the stethoscope accessory to the output device, it is possible to output the auscultatory sound from the output device and provide the patient with the auscultatory sound. In the present invention, the stethoscope accessory can be easily attached to the stethoscope simply by inserting one end of the tube protruding from the housing into the stethoscope tube and attaching the other end to the chestpiece via the attachment tube. be able to. In addition, doctors can use the stethoscope that they normally use.

  A stethoscope accessory according to another aspect of the present invention is a stethoscope accessory that is detachably attached to a tube between a chestpiece of an stethoscope and an ear canal, and collects sound transmitted through the tube. A microphone and an auscultation sound data transmission unit that transmits auscultation sound data collected by the microphone to an output device are provided.

  In this way, since the sound transmitted through the tube between the chestpiece and the ear canal is collected by the microphone, it is possible to collect almost the same sound as that heard from the stethoscope. Then, by transmitting the auscultatory sound data collected by the stethoscope accessory to the output device, it is possible to output the auscultatory sound from the output device and provide the patient with the auscultatory sound. Moreover, since the stethoscope accessory of this invention can be attached to the tube of a stethoscope so that attachment or detachment is possible, the doctor can utilize the stethoscope which is usually used.

  A stethoscope accessory according to another aspect of the present invention is a stethoscope accessory that is detachably attached to a chestpiece of a stethoscope, and is substantially the same as a sound collection surface of the chestpiece when attached to the chestpiece. A sound collection unit having a sound collection surface located on a plane, an auscultation sound data transmission unit that transmits auscultation sound data collected by the sound collection unit to an output device, the sound collection unit, and the auscultation sound data transmission unit And a connection member fixed to the case for attaching the case to the chest piece, and the connection member is made of an elastic material and has a smaller curvature than the outer periphery of the chest piece. It has a radius of curvature.

  With this configuration, when the stethoscope accessory is attached to the stethoscope, the sound collection surface of the sound collection unit is positioned substantially flush with the sound collection surface of the chest piece. The sound collection surface of the sound accessory is also a patient. Therefore, just by performing auscultation as in the case where there is no stethoscope accessory, it is possible to collect almost the same sound as that heard from the auscultation sound with the stethoscope accessory. Then, by transmitting the auscultatory sound data collected by the stethoscope accessory to the output device, it is possible to output the auscultatory sound from the output device and provide the patient with the auscultatory sound. The “sound-collecting surface” of the chest piece is a diaphragm in the case of a diaphragm type chest piece, and is a virtual surface constituted by a rim of the chest piece in the case of a bell type chest piece. Further, in the present invention, when the chest piece is pushed into the bending portion, the bending portion pushed and spread by the chest piece is tightened by the elastic force to return, so that the stethoscope accessory is fixed to the stethoscope. . Thus, the stethoscope accessory can be easily attached to the stethoscope simply by pushing the stethoscope accessory into the chestpiece. In addition, doctors can use the stethoscope that they normally use.

  A stethoscope accessory according to another aspect of the present invention is a stethoscope accessory that is detachably attached to a chestpiece of a stethoscope, and is substantially the same as a sound collection surface of the chestpiece when attached to the chestpiece. A sound collection unit having a sound collection surface located on a plane; and an auscultation sound data transmission unit that transmits auscultation sound data collected by the sound collection unit to an output device.

  When the stethoscope accessory of the present invention is attached to the stethoscope, the sound collection surface of the sound collection unit is located substantially in the same plane as the sound collection surface of the chest piece, so at the same time when the chest piece is applied to the patient. The sound collection part of the auscultatory sound accessory is also a patient. Therefore, just by performing auscultation as in the case where there is no stethoscope accessory, it is possible to collect almost the same sound as the sound heard from the stethoscope with the stethoscope accessory. Then, by transmitting the auscultatory sound data collected by the stethoscope accessory to the output device, it is possible to output the auscultatory sound from the output device and provide the patient with the auscultatory sound. Moreover, since the stethoscope accessory of this invention can be attached to the chestpiece of a stethoscope so that attachment or detachment is possible, the doctor can utilize the usual stethoscope.

  A stethoscope system according to the present invention includes any one of the above-described stethoscope accessories, and a speaker that receives auscultation sound data transmitted from the stethoscope accessory and outputs auscultation sound based on the auscultation sound data. Prepare.

  Since the stethoscope system of this invention outputs the auscultation sound data transmitted from the stethoscope accessory from the speaker, the patient can hear the auscultation sound. Thus, the doctor can explain the medical condition while specifically pointing out the patient's auscultation sound, which can be used to improve medical services.

  The stethoscope system of the present invention includes any one of the above-described stethoscope accessories and a monitor that receives auscultation sound data transmitted from the stethoscope accessory and displays information on the auscultation sound.

  Since the stethoscope system of this invention displays the information regarding the auscultation sound transmitted from the stethoscope accessory on the monitor, the information regarding the auscultation sound can be visually provided to the patient. At this time, for example, by performing a process such as displaying a plurality of cycles of auscultation sounds superimposed on each other, sub-noise that is very weak as a volume compared to normal breathing sounds and heart sounds is also clarified. Can be clearly displayed and the accuracy of diagnosis can be improved.

  The stethoscope accessory of the present invention has a function of acquiring almost the same sound as the sound heard from the stethoscope and transmitting it to the output device, and can be detachably attached to the stethoscope. A stethoscope can be used as it is, and auscultation sound can be provided to the patient.

  Hereinafter, a stethoscope accessory and a stethoscope system according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
Fig.1 (a) is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the stethoscope accessory 10 of embodiment. The stethoscope accessory 10 includes a housing 12 that houses a microphone or the like that collects auscultatory sounds, and two tubes 14 and 16 that connect the housing 12 to a tube of a stethoscope. The tubes 14 and 16 are tapered so that the tubes 14 and 16 can be easily fitted into the tubes. In addition, the taper is divided into a plurality of steps so as to prevent the tube once fitted from being easily removed. In the present embodiment, the mounting tube 18 is fitted in advance to one of the tubes 16 so that a tube for connecting the stethoscope accessory 10 and the chest piece need not be prepared.

  FIG.1 (b) is a figure which shows the inside of the housing | casing 12 of the stethoscope accessory 10 shown to Fig.1 (a). The two tubes 14 and 16 are connected to each other by a metal cylinder 20 inside the housing 12. The two tubes 14 and 16 and the cylinder 20 are connected without a gap so that sound does not leak. In the present embodiment, the pipes 14 and 16 and the cylinder 20 are separated from each other, but the pipes 14 and 16 and the cylinder 20 may be configured integrally.

  A cutout 22 having a size of about 3 mm × 3 mm is formed in the cylinder 20, and a microphone 24 is attached in parallel to the cutout 22. Although not shown in FIG. 1B, the cylinder 20 is covered with cellophane tape or the like so that air does not leak from the notch 22. In the present embodiment, an example in which the microphone 24 is arranged outside the cylinder 20 is described, but the microphone 24 may be provided inside the cylinder 20.

  In addition, a circuit board 26 is provided inside the housing 12. The circuit board 26 is formed with a microphone amplifier that processes an electrical signal acquired by the microphone 24 and an auscultation sound data transmission unit that transmits a signal processed by the microphone amplifier. Note that transmission of auscultatory sound data by wireless or wire can be realized by a known technique.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing functional blocks of the stethoscope accessory 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the stethoscope accessory 10 includes a microphone 24 that collects auscultatory sound transmitted through the tube 46 of the stethoscope 40, a microphone amplifier 28 that processes auscultatory sound data acquired by the microphone 24, and a microphone amplifier. An auscultatory sound data transmitting unit 30 for transmitting the auscultatory sound data processed in 28 to the output device.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a stethoscope 40 to which the stethoscope accessory 10 according to the present embodiment is attached. The stethoscope 40 includes a chest piece 42, an ear tube 44, a tube 46 that connects the chest piece 42 and the ear tube 44, and an ear piece 48 that is attached to the distal end of the ear tube 44 and inserted into the ear. . Note that the stethoscope accessory 10 of the present embodiment can be applied to a stethoscope 40 having a diaphragm in the chestpiece 42, and also to a bell-type stethoscope 40 having no diaphragm. Applicable.

  The stethoscope accessory 10 is attached to the tube 46. The tube 46 is removed from the chest piece 42 and the tube 14 of the stethoscope accessory 10 is inserted into the tube 46. The general stethoscope 40 is configured such that the tube 46 is detached from the chest piece 42. Further, the attachment tube 18 attached to the tube 16 of the stethoscope accessory 10 is attached to the chest piece 42. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3, the stethoscope accessory 10 can be attached to the stethoscope 40.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a stethoscope system 50 using the stethoscope accessory 10. The stethoscope system 50 receives the stethoscope 40 to which the stethoscope accessory 10 is attached, the speaker 52 that receives the auscultation sound data transmitted from the stethoscope accessory 10 and outputs the auscultation sound, and the auscultation sound data. And a monitor 54 for displaying auscultatory sound data.

  The auscultatory sound data transmitted from the auscultatory sound accessory to the speaker 52 or the monitor 54 may be analog data or digital data. In the case of transmitting digital data, digital data transmitted from a plurality of stethoscope accessories 10 can be multiplexed and transmitted.

  The speaker 52 can focus the sound so that the patient can easily hear the breathing sound and the heart sound. The monitor 54 has a function of visualizing and displaying auscultatory sound data for each respiratory sound mode and heart sound mode, for example. A specific example of visualization of auscultation sound data will be described.

  FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating an example of a monitor display in which respiratory sounds are visualized. In the example shown in FIG. 5A, the frequency component of the respiratory sound is acquired, and the respiratory sound is visualized by adding a predetermined color for each frequency component. In addition, the vertical line seen in Fig.5 (a) shows a subnoise. By visualizing in this way, auscultatory sound data can be displayed in real time.

  FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating another example of the monitor display in which the breathing sound is visualized. In the example shown in FIG. 5B, a plurality of (for example, 10 times) respiratory sounds are accumulated and displayed. Since the breathing length is different every time, when breathing sounds are accumulated, the breathing sounds are adjusted and accumulated. By accumulating a plurality of breathing sounds, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the difference depending on the volume and the sound range is clearly displayed as contrast. In addition, the volume and range (frequency) of the sub-noise whose volume is weaker than that of a normal breathing sound can be clearly depicted. Thereby, not only the sub-noise to the patient can be clearly displayed, but also the accuracy of diagnosis can be improved. Further, the accumulated breathing sound shown in FIG. 5B may be averaged and displayed as an averaged frequency representing one breath.

The monitor 54 may display an analysis result obtained by analyzing the auscultatory sound data. For example, if frequency patterns characteristic to asthma, interstitial pneumonia, characteristic noise (sub-noise) after artificial valve replacement, etc. are stored in advance, and these frequency patterns exist, The existing portion may be displayed on the monitor 54.
The stethoscope accessory 10 and the stethoscope system 50 according to the first embodiment have been described above.

  The stethoscope accessory 10 of the first embodiment can be easily attached to the connection portion between the chest piece 42 and the tube 46 of the stethoscope 40. Thus, the doctor can easily configure the stethoscope system 50 that provides the auscultatory sound to the patient simply by attaching the stethoscope accessory 10 to a familiar stethoscope. Because you can continue to use the familiar stethoscope, the accuracy of the examination will not be affected. Moreover, since the attachment of the stethoscope accessory 10 is easy, the spread to the clinical field is also expected.

  Further, since the stethoscope system 50 of the first embodiment can visualize and display the auscultatory sound on the monitor 54, it assists in grasping the status of asthma, interstitial pneumonia and prosthetic valves by using the secondary noise diagnosis software. Useful for diagnosis.

  The stethoscope system 50 according to the first embodiment has various effects such as improvement of medical services by providing the patient with auscultatory sounds. For example, since an outpatient or hospitalized patient can hear the same auscultatory sound as the auscultatory sound heard by a doctor, it is possible to eliminate anxiety during patient auscultation. Moreover, since the patient feels the difference between the auscultatory sound with secondary noise and the normal auscultatory sound, an educational effect such as smoking cessation guidance to the patient can be expected. Furthermore, patient education can be expected to prevent disease exacerbations and seizures. In addition, a clinical educational effect can be obtained by performing auscultation with a medical-related person (medical student, paramedical, etc.) being educated and an approved patient.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the stethoscope accessory 60 of the second embodiment will be described. The stethoscope accessory 60 of the second embodiment is different from the stethoscope accessory 10 of the first embodiment in that the stethoscope accessory 60 is attached not to the tube 46 of the stethoscope 40 but to the chest piece 42. .

  FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the stethoscope accessory 60 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a view of the stethoscope accessory 60 viewed from the sound collecting unit side. FIG.6 (c) is a figure which shows CC cross section of the stethoscope accessory 60 shown in FIG.6 (b). In the following description, the sound collecting part side of the stethoscope accessory 60 is “lower”, and the opposite side is “upper”.

  A circular diaphragm 64 is attached to the lower part of the stethoscope accessory 60. Further, as shown in FIG. 6C, the stethoscope accessory 60 includes a microphone 68 and an auscultatory sound data transmission unit 70 above the diaphragm 64. Here, the diaphragm 64, the recess formed in the back surface of the diaphragm 64, and the microphone 68 constitute a sound collection unit. The microphone 68 collects the sound obtained through the diaphragm 64, and the auscultation sound data transmission unit 70 transmits the auscultation sound data acquired by the microphone 68. The stethoscope accessory 60 also includes a battery, but the battery is not shown.

  The diaphragm 64, the microphone 68, and the auscultatory sound data transmission unit 70 are accommodated in the housing 72. The stethoscope accessory 60 has a connecting member 74 so as to cover the housing 72. The connection member 74 is made of an elastic material.

  The connection member 74 of the stethoscope accessory 60 has a curved portion 62 along the outer periphery of the chest piece 42 of the stethoscope 40, as shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). The curvature radius of the substantially circular curve is smaller than the curvature radius of the outer periphery of the chest piece 42. By pushing the stethoscope 40 into the curved portion 62, the stethoscope accessory 60 is fitted into the stethoscope 40.

  In addition, a groove 66 into which the outer periphery of the chest piece 42 is fitted is formed in the lower portion of the curved portion 62 of the stethoscope accessory 60. By fitting the outer periphery of the chest piece 42 into the groove 66, the diaphragm (not shown) of the chest piece 42 and the diaphragm 64 of the stethoscope accessory 60 are positioned on substantially the same plane.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the stethoscope accessory 60 according to the second embodiment is attached to the stethoscope 40. FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing a connection state between the stethoscope accessory 60 and the chest piece 42. FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b), when the chest piece 42 of the stethoscope 40 is pushed into the stethoscope accessory 60, the curved portion expanded by the chest piece 42 is restored to its original state. Since the chestpiece 42 is tightened by force, the stethoscope accessory 60 is fixed to the stethoscope 40.

Similar to the stethoscope system 50 of the first embodiment, the stethoscope system of the second embodiment includes a speaker 52 and a monitor 54 that output auscultatory sound data transmitted from the stethoscope accessory 60. The configuration of the second stethoscope system is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the difference in stethoscope accessories.
The stethoscope accessory 60 and the stethoscope system according to the second embodiment have been described above.

  The stethoscope accessory 60 of the second embodiment can be attached simply by pushing the chest piece 42 of the stethoscope 40 into the curved portion 62 of the stethoscope accessory 50. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, the doctor can easily configure a stethoscope system that can provide auscultatory sound to a patient by simply attaching the stethoscope accessory 60 to a familiar stethoscope.

  As mentioned above, although the stethoscope accessory and the stethoscope system of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

  In the second embodiment described above, the stethoscope accessory 60 having the connection member 74 formed of an elastic material has been described as an example of the configuration for attaching the stethoscope accessory 60 to the chest piece 42. Another method may be adopted as a configuration for attaching the accessory 60 to the chest piece 42. For example, the stethoscope accessory 60 may be fixed by a mechanism that grips the constricted portion at the top of the chest piece 42.

  In the above-described embodiment, the stethoscope system 50 including the speaker 52 and the monitor 54 that outputs the auscultation sound data transmitted from the stethoscope accessories 10 and 60 has been described as an example. An output device in which 54 is integrated may be used.

  FIG. 9A is a perspective view of an auscultatory sound output device 80 that outputs auscultation sound data as viewed from the front, and FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the auscultation sound output device 80 as viewed from the back. As shown in FIG. 9A, the auscultation sound output device 80 includes a speaker 82, a liquid crystal screen 84, a volume adjustment button 86, a band adjustment button 88, an external memory connection port 90, and a power switch 92. Have. As shown in FIG. 9B, the auscultation sound output device 80 has an audio line output unit 94, a USB connector 96, and a power input unit 98 on the back surface. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, by using an auscultation sound output device 80 having a speaker 82 and a liquid crystal screen 84, auscultation sound data can be output as speech and auscultation sound data can be visualized. Can be displayed. The auscultation sound output device 80 may not only output auscultation sound data but also record auscultation sound and visualized auscultation sound data in an external memory connected to the external memory connection port 90. The auscultatory sound output device 80 may record auscultatory sound data in an internal memory (not shown).

  As described above, the stethoscope accessory of the present invention has an effect that it can provide an auscultatory sound to a patient by being attached to the stethoscope, and is useful as an accessory for a stethoscope.

(A) It is a perspective view which shows the stethoscope accessory of 1st Embodiment. (B) It is a figure which shows the inside of the stethoscope accessory of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the function of the stethoscope accessory of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the stethoscope which attached the stethoscope accessory of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the stethoscope system of 1st Embodiment. (A) It is a figure which shows the example which displayed the auscultation sound data on the monitor in real time. (B) It is a figure which shows the example which accumulated the auscultation sound data and displayed on the monitor. (A) It is a perspective view which shows the stethoscope accessory of 2nd Embodiment. (B) It is the figure which looked at the stethoscope accessory of 2nd Embodiment from the bottom. (C) It is a figure which shows CC cross section of the stethoscope accessory shown to (b). It is a figure which shows the stethoscope which attached the stethoscope accessory of 2nd Embodiment. (A) It is the figure which looked at the chestpiece which attached the stethoscope accessory of 2nd Embodiment from the bottom. (B) It is a figure which shows CC cross section of the stethoscope accessory shown to (a). (A) It is the perspective view which looked at the auscultatory sound output device from the front. (B) It is the perspective view which looked at the auscultation sound output device from the back.

Explanation of symbols

10 Stethoscope accessory 12 Case 14, 16 Tube 18 Mounting tube 20 Cylinder 22 Notch 24 Microphone 26 Circuit board 28 Microphone amplifier 30 Auscultatory sound transmission data 40 Stethoscope 42 Chest piece 44 Ear tube 46 Tube 48 Earpiece 50 Stethoscope System 52 Speaker 54 Monitor 60 Stethoscope accessory 62 Bending part 64 Diaphragm 66 Groove 68 Microphone 70 Auscultation sound data transmission part 72 Case 74 Connection part 80 Auscultation sound output device 82 Speaker 84 Liquid crystal screen 86 Volume adjustment button 88 Band adjustment button 90 External memory connection 92 Power switch 94 Audio output line 96 USB connector 98 Power input

Claims (4)

A stethoscope accessory detachably attached to a stethoscope chestpiece,
A sound collection section having a sound collection surface located in substantially the same plane as the sound collection surface of the chest piece when attached to the chest piece;
Auscultation sound data transmission unit for transmitting auscultation sound data collected by the sound collection unit to an output device;
A housing that houses the sound collection unit and the auscultation sound data transmission unit;
A connection member fixed to the housing for attaching the housing to the chest piece;
With
The connecting member is a stethoscope accessory that is made of an elastic material and has a curved portion with a smaller radius of curvature than the outer periphery of the chestpiece. A stethoscope accessory detachably attached to a stethoscope chestpiece,
A sound collection section having a sound collection surface located in substantially the same plane as the sound collection surface of the chest piece when attached to the chest piece;
Auscultation sound data transmission unit for transmitting auscultation sound data collected by the sound collection unit to an output device;
Stethoscope accessory with. A stethoscope accessory according to claim 1 or 2 ,
A speaker that receives auscultation sound data transmitted from the stethoscope accessory and outputs auscultation sound based on the auscultation sound data;
Stethoscope system comprising. A stethoscope accessory according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
A monitor that receives auscultation sound data transmitted from the stethoscope accessory and displays information about the auscultation sound;
Stethoscope system comprising.