Apparatus for detection of cardiac acoustic signals

摘要

The present invention is an apparatus for detection of high-frequency heart sounds for diagnosing heart diseases. One embodiment utilizes an accelerometer-based detector that presents a light load to the chest, is sensitive to the desired high frequency range, and provides a quantitative measurement of the quality of the acquired signal. Two pairs of flexible beams, each having piezoelectric transducers on the upper and lower surfaces are supported by a lightweight mechanical structure. The beams are center-loaded so that they respond to the same mechanical energy and will produce identical electrical signals in the absence of noise. Through additional signal processing means the two signals can provide an estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio of the acquired signal. The two signals can also be combined to further improve the signal-to-noise ratio. The invention is designed to be light weight, sensitive to higher frequencies, and to be relatively immune to noise.

主权项

1. An apparatus for detection of cardiac acoustic signals, comprising:
at least two mechanically sensitive transducers configured to produce at least two separate electrical output signals in response to the same mechanical inputs; at least two accelerometer detectors coupled to said mechanically sensitive transducers; a supporting frame; and a patient contact plate; wherein cardiac acoustic signals from a patient may be detected non-invasively.