US3417838A

US3417838A - Funnel of flexible stethoscope for mediate auscultation

Info

Publication number: US3417838A
Application number: US601593A
Authority: US
Inventors: Shlyakhter Isaak Abramovich; Krupin Boris Nikolaevich; Gismatullin Ravil Ibragimovich
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-12-14
Filing date: 1966-12-14
Publication date: 1968-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 1985-12-24
Also published as: FR1498760A; GB1126420A

Description

Dec. 24, 1968 SHLYAKHTER ET AL 3,417,838

FUNNEL OF FLEXIBLE STETHOSCOPE FOR MEDIATE AUSCULTATION Filed Dec. 14, 1966 United States Patent 3,417,838 FUNNEL 0F FLEXIBLE STETHOSCOPE FOR MEDIATE AUSCULTATION Isaak Abramovich Shlyakhter, Vasilievsky ostrov, 2 linia, 43, kv. I4, Leningrad, U.S.S.R.; Boris Nikolaevich Krupin, p/o Mendeleevo, 29, kv. 34, Moskovskaya oblast, U.S.S.R.; and Ravil Ibragimovich Gismatullin, Lesnoi prospekt, 4, kv. 42, Leningrad, U.S.S.R.

Filed Dec. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 601,593 1 Claim. (Cl. 181-24) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A stethoscope funnel having a circular housing with an open cavity of circular extent eccentrically disposed in the housing and defining an upper rim of variable thickness bounding the cavity. A sound transfer duct opens into the cavity and is positioned at an acute angle with respect to the rim of the housing at the location of smallest width of the housing.

This invention relates to flexible stethoscopes for performing mediate auscultation and more particularly to the funnels of said stethoscopes.

It is known to employ flexible stethoscopes for mediate auscultation wherein the reception space of the funnels communicates with a sound transfer duct through sound branch tubes. The axis of the aforesaid sound transfer duct is essentially parallel to the plane of contact of said funnel with the body of the patient being auscultated while the contact surface has an annular shape constituted by two concentric circumferences. The funnels of the character set forth hereinabove, however, fail to provide the necessary level of transmission of sound energy from the reception space, which adversely affects the acoustic qualities of said funnels.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the disadvantages of the funnels of the stethoscopes hitherto used.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a funnel of such a design that it is possible to attain the maximum level of transmission of sound energy from a reception space to a sound transfer duct, thereby improving the acoustic susceptibility of said funnel while detecting pathologic symptoms in the sound signal being heard.

In the accomplishment of this and other objects of the invention, it is provided in the invention that the axis of the sound transfer duct makes an acute angle with the plane of the annular surface which contacts the body of the patient being auscultated. Apart from this, the said annular surface is confined within eccentric circumferences such that the annular surface has its greatest width on the side opposite the side on which the sound transfer duct is connected to the annular surface.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side sectional view of the funnel according to the invention taken on lines IIII;

FIlgIG. 2 is a plan view of the funnel as illustrated in The funnel of a flexible stethoscope of the present invention comprises a circular housing H which has an annular-shaped surface or rim 1 which contacts the body of the patient being auscultated, said surface 1 being disposed in a plane P which makes an acute angle a with the axis of a sound transfer duct 2, said duct being connected to a reception space or cavity 3 provided in housing H.

The reception space is eccentrically located in housing H and annular-shaped surface 1 has its greatest Width on the side opposite that at which the sound transfer duct 2 enters the cavity 3. Thus as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the maximum width W is diametrically opposite duct 2 whereas the minimum width W, is closest to the duct.

The boundary of the space 3 in plane P is designated by numeral 4 and is circular as shown in FIG. 2, while the boundary of the housing H in plane P is also circular and designated by numeral 5. The axis of duct 2 lies in a plane which passes diametrically through circular boundaries 4 and 5.

The funnel of the present invention features high acoustic properties and an advanced acoustic susceptibility thus enabling pathologic symptoms in the sounds inherent in a human organism to be revealed and recognized With a high degree of accuracy, this due to the fact that the design of the funnel embodying the present invention provides for the highest concentration of the sonic waves in close proximity to the sound transfer duct.

We claim:

1. A stethoscope funnel comprising a cylindrical housing having an upper and lower surface, the lower surface being perpendicular to the axis of the housing, the upper surface being inclined at an acute angle with respect to said lower surface, said housing having a circular sound cavity in said upper surface which is offset therein to form a rim of varying Width surrounding the said cavity, said rim having a minimum width at the point of greatest depth of the housing and a maximum width at the point of minimum depth of the housing, and a duct in said housing at the point-of maximum depth thereof, said duct extending parallel to said lower surface and opening into said cavity in the region of minimum width of the rim and remote from the region of maximum width of the rim.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 677,172 6/ 1901 BoWles 181-24 910,854 1/1909 Pilling 181-24 1,853,951 4/1932 Zala 18124 2,445,917 7/ 1948 Mallory 181-24 3,276,536 10/1966 Littmann l8124 3,389,667 9/1967 Speelman 181-24 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,164,669 5/ 8 France. 1,208,208 9/1959 France.

STEPHEN J. TOMSKY, Primary Examiner.