Patent Application
20160113619
The present invention relates to earpieces for stethoscopes and, more particularly, to conically-shaped earpieces for stethoscopes that sit on, rather than within, the ear.
Stethoscopes are important tools for health care professional to evaluate and diagnose patients. They have been used in the medical profession since the 1800s. The design, as well as the functionality, of medical stethoscopes is well-documented in the art. Typically, stethoscopes have a substantially U-shaped or heart-shaped design, with earpieces that sit within the user's ear canal to transmit sound. Examples of such stethoscope configurations are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 257,487 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,290.
According to www.hearingloss.org, about 20% of adults, which represents 48 million people, report some degree of hearing loss. At age 65, one out of three people have hearing loss. Thus, there are many individuals in the medical profession that have hearing loss and use hearing aids to compensate for that issue. Because Americans are living and working longer, the number of individuals that are working in the medical profession that use hearing aids is increasing. For health care professional with hearing aids, using a traditional stethoscope is difficult because of the requirement that the earpieces of the stethoscope sit within user's ear canal. Typical hearing aids include behind-the ear aids, in-the-ear aids, in-the-canal aids, and completely-in-the-canal aids. For each of these types of hearing aids, using a traditional stethoscope is not practical because the user must remove his or her hearing aid prior to use. Requiring removal of a person's hearing aid is time consuming, potentially embarrassing for the user, and can negatively impact the user's ability to hear the biological sounds from the stethoscope. While amplified stethoscopes may increase the person's ability to hear from the stethoscope, it does not fully solve the problem of using a stethoscope with hearing aids. It would therefore be beneficial to provide earpieces for stethoscopes that sit on the outside of the ear, which can be used with a variety of hearing aid types.
Prior art stethoscope systems that have used headphones in conjunction with a traditional stethoscope, include the design disclosed in United States Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0129989. While the headphones in such systems sit on the ears, the stethoscope earpieces are still required to sit within the user's ear, extending through the headphone in this particular construction. Thus, such systems do not solve the problems faced by users with hearing aids.
Other prior art stethoscope systems have attempted to solve the problem of using a stethoscope with a hearing aid. For example, Cardionics markets the “E-Scope” product, which requires the user to input electronic headphones into the stethoscope, which does do not use specialized earpieces to transmit sound. Such a system is not desirable because it significantly changes the appearance of the stethoscope and can alert the patient to the user's hearing aid. Thus, there exists a need for earpieces that are discrete and less bulky than over-the-head headphones. Furthermore, an article by Westone, titled “Scope This Out!,” discloses various stethoscope earpieces that are designed for users with hearing aids. These earpieces, however, bear against the hearing aid, which can cause discomfort to the wearer. Therefore, it is desirable to have a stethoscope earpiece construction which addresses these and other issues.
The ear canal is a sensitive part of the human body. Sensitivity can range from mild dermatitis of the ear canal to chronic otitis externa. Individuals with skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis affecting their ears are particularly susceptible to such inflammation. Irritation of the ear canal is also common among health care professionals, who often utilize stethoscopes with earpieces that sit within their ear canal. While using antibacterial or softer earpieces may reduce such irritation, it does eliminate the problem. Thus, to further reduce irritation to the ear canal, earpieces for a stethoscope that sit on the outside of the ear are desirable.
Stethoscopes can be shared among health care professionals, and not all stethoscope users will require earpieces that sit on, rather than within, the ear. Therefore, it is desirable for the stethoscope earpiece to be removable.
It is with respect to these problems that the present invention is addressed.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an earpiece for a stethoscope is disclosed. The earpiece is configured to be connected to the ear tube of a stethoscope. The earpiece can be conically-shaped with an apex and a base, so as to define a sound chamber. The apex of the earpiece has a collar with a fitting, which is adapted to fit on the ear tube of a stethoscope. The base of the earpiece is sufficiently sized to sit on the surface of the user's ear and transmit sound from the ear tube of a stethoscope to the earpiece's sound chamber. Sound is then transferred from the earpiece's sound chamber into the user's ear. The earpiece further comprises a flexible cover, which is seated about the base′ of the earpiece. The flexible cover operates to engage and create a seal between the base of the earpiece and the user's ear when the earpieces of the stethoscope are biased towards each other.
In one aspect of the invention, the flexible covers can be made of foam. In accordance with still further aspects of the invention, the top end of the flexible cover has an opening with an annular access, which provides access to the space between the top and bottom end of the flexible cover. In such arrangements, the bottom of the annual access on the flexible cover provides a bearing surface for the earpiece. In various arrangements of the invention, the bearing surface can be textured and the annular access can be sealed to prevent degradation of the flexible cover at the annular access.
Optionally, the fitting of the collar of the earpiece can be removable from the ear tube of a stethoscope. Such fitting may be threaded, and attachable to complementary threading on the ear tube. Also optionally, the earpiece can further comprise a set of flanges, which are connected to either the earpiece or the ear tube. Such flanges are adapted to sit on the pinna of the ear to support the weight of the stethoscope when in use. Still further optional features include that the base of each conically-shaped earpiece can comprise an overlapping section that allows for the diameter of the base of each earpiece to be adjusted based on the size of the user's ear.
In another aspect of the invention, a plurality of interchangeable, preferably conically-shaped earpieces, as described above, are provided in an earpiece kit for use with a stethoscope. A plurality of flexible covers, as described above, is also provided.
In accordance with still a further aspect of the present invention, a stethoscope structure is disclosed. The stethoscope structure includes a branched flexible tube, a pair of rigid ear tubes that are coupled in fluid communication with the branching portion of the flexible tube, a connector at the lower ends of the ear tubes for biasing the ear tubes towards each other to define a substantially U-shaped assembly, a chest piece, at least one preferably conically-shaped earpiece, as described above, and at least one flexible cover, as described above.
These and other aspects, features and advantages shall be apparent from the accompanying drawings and description of certain embodiments of the invention.
Referring to
The conical shape of the earpiece 100 is an important aspect of the invention. It defines a sound chamber, which transmits, directs, and amplifies sound to the user's ears. Similar to a megaphone, the conical shape of the earpiece 100 amplifies sound by directing the sound waves from the stethoscope's ear tube 500 to the user's ear. The conical shape of the earpiece 100 is further preferred because it allows for space between the ear tube 500 of the stethoscope and the user's hearing aid. The earpiece may have other shapes, such as hemispherical, but these are less preferred as it provides a sound chamber which is less efficient.
Either one or two earpieces can be used on the stethoscope, depending on the user's needs. For example, if a user only has a hearing aid in the right ear, the earpiece disclosed can be used on the right ear tube of the stethoscope while a traditional earpiece can be used on the left ear tube of the stethoscope.
Another important aspect of the invention is the flexible cover 200 for the earpiece 100. Referring to
In one embodiment, the flexible cover has an opening with an annular access 230 on its top end 210, as shown in
For purposes of sharing stethoscopes, it is advantageous to have an earpiece kit comprising a plurality of interchangeable, conically-shaped earpieces 100, as described above. A plurality of flexible covers 200 would also be included, and each would be adapted to cover its respective earpiece 100. In another aspect of the invention, the diameter of the base 120 of the earpiece 100 can be adjusted to fit a variety of ear sizes. This allows for manufacturers to create one earpiece mold, thus reducing costs. Healthcare professionals can also share the adjustable earpiece 100, because it can be resized to properly fit each user. It is recommended that each user cover the adjustable earpiece 100 with his or her own flexible cover 200 to prevent the spread of disease. The base 120 of the earpiece 100 consists of an overlapping section, which allows for the diameter of the base to be increased or decreased. The desired diameter can be secured by any suitable method, such as a clip or locking mechanism on the earpiece.
The fitting 140 of the collar 130 can be attachable and detachable from the ear tube 500 of the stethoscope. The removable functionality of the earpiece configuration is advantageous because it allows for multiple healthcare professionals to use the same stethoscope with his or her own earpieces. This reduces the transfer of bacteria and decreases the risk of getting an ear infection. The removability of the earpiece 100 is further beneficial because it allows for this invention to be used in conjunction with most stethoscopes on the market today. Because the fitting 140 is preferably made from a flexible rubber, it can adapt to fit a variety of stethoscope ear tube sizes. The interior of the fitting 140 can be threaded, and is connectable to a stethoscope ear tube that has complementary threading.
Because the earpiece is sitting on, rather than within, the ear, it may be desirable to have a flange 300 that supports the weight of the stethoscope. The flange can be connected to either the curved end of the ear tube 500, which is near the user's ear during operation of the stethoscope, or on the earpiece 100.
A stethoscope structure with preferably conically-shaped earpieces can be constructed with the inventive earpiece. Referring to
While the invention has been described in connection with certain embodiments, it is defined by the claims that accompany this description and is not to be read as being restricted to any one embodiment thereof.
