US3570625A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Stethoscope with high intensity audio output
Assignee: ALLEN MEDICAL INSTR DIVISION O
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Filing: 1969-09-08
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Granted: 1971-03-16
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Expires: 1989-09-08
Abstract
Abstract A stethoscope providing sound transmission air columns of unequal lengths such that sounds are delivered to respective ear tips with their resonance curves so related that sound of improved audibility is constantly being heard by one ear or the other.
Inventors
- 👤 Derek R Allen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 17:54
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B7/00; A61B7/02; A61B7/026
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
204 words
A stethoscope comprising: a head; a pair of ear tips; tube means including a trunk tube and a binaural yoke, said ear tips being located at the respective ends of said yoke; said trunk tube having one end thereof connected to said head; a junction connecting the other end of said trunk tube to a first ear tip at one end of said yoke to provide a relatively short resonant air column extending from said head to sad first ear tip within said trunk tube and communicating with said head and first ear tip; said trunk tube also being connected to said one end of said yoke to provide a relatively long resonant air column extending through said trunk tube and through said yoke to the other ear tip and communicating with said head and other ear tip; the total air column cross-sectional area in said trunk tube being substantially larger than in said yoke; and the proportions of said air columns being such as to develop resonance cycles of sound intensity delivered at the respective ear tips, so related that frequencies attenuated at one ear tip will have substantially higher intensity at the other ear tip over the auscultation range of sound frequencies.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
204 words
A stethoscope comprising: a head; a pair of ear tips; tube means including a trunk tube and a binaural yoke, said ear tips being located at the respective ends of said yoke; said trunk tube having one end thereof connected to said head; a junction connecting the other end of said trunk tube to a first ear tip at one end of said yoke to provide a relatively short resonant air column extending from said head to sad first ear tip within said trunk tube and communicating with said head and first ear tip; said trunk tube also being connected to said one end of said yoke to provide a relatively long resonant air column extending through said trunk tube and through said yoke to the other ear tip and communicating with said head and other ear tip; the total air column cross-sectional area in said trunk tube being substantially larger than in said yoke; and the proportions of said air columns being such as to develop resonance cycles of sound intensity delivered at the respective ear tips, so related that frequencies attenuated at one ear tip will have substantially higher intensity at the other ear tip over the auscultation range of sound frequencies.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A stethoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein said trunk tube defines an air column common to both of said resonant air columns extending from said head to said first ear tip.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
70 words
A stethoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein said air columns are separate for substantially the entire distance from the head to the nearest ear tip, whereby the resonance peaks of sound intensity delivered at the respective ear tips will be distributed in out-of-phase, alternating succession over the auscultation range of sound frequencies, so that frequencies attenuated at one ear tip will be resonance peaked at the other ear tip.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
A stethoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein said tubes means defines a pair of separate air columns each extending from said head to its respective ear tip; said separate air columns each being of uniform cross-sectional area throughout its respective length.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A stethoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein the effective air column length from said head to the farther ear tip is approximately twice the effective air column length from the head to the nearer ear tip.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
148 words
A stethoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein said tube means comprises; the trunk tube extending from said head to a junction near one of said ear tips; the binaural yoke comprising a pair of binaural tubes connected to one another in the form of a yoke and collectively defining an extended air column communicating with said trunk tube at said junction and extending therefrom to the other ear tip, said binaural tubes having free ends carrying the respective ear tips; and said trunk tube and said binaural collectively defining resonant air columns for auscultative transmission to the respective ear tips of sounds of a selected frequency range so related one to the other that the resonance cycles of sound intensity delivered at the respective ear tips will be so related that frequencies attenuated at one ear tip will have substantially higher intensity at the other ear tip.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
96 words
A stethoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein said tube means includes the binaural yoke comprising binaural tubes having free ends carrying said ear tips and having their opposite ends joined by a binaural yoke tube having a yoke spring resiliently urging said free ends toward one another; the trunk tube extendiNg from said head to said binaural yoke; and said junction comprising a fitting communicating with the end of said trunk tube remote from said head and having a throat communicating with a port in one of said binaural tubes near the ear tip thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
A stethoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein said junction is embodied in said nearer ear tip.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
50 words
A stethoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein said tube means includes the trunk tube embodying a single air passage forming a common portion of dual air columns extending from said head to the respective ear tips, having respective lengths related to one another in the ratio of approximately 1:2.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
72 words
A stethoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein said tube means comprises the binaural yoke having respective ear tubes terminating in said ear tips, and the trunk tube in the form of a double tube having separate air passages communicating with binaural ear tubes to define separate resonant transmission columns extending from said head to the respective ear tips, said transmission columns being of respective lengths in the ratio of approximately 1:2.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-03-15 | 1974-09-14 | 1975-03-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-03-15 | 1978-09-14 | 1979-03-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-03-15 | 1982-09-14 | 1983-03-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |