Electronic stethoscope system for telemedicine applications

Abstract

An electronic stethoscope includes a housing configured for hand-held manipulation, a transducer supported by the housing and configured to sense auscultation signals at a first location, and a headset coupled to the housing and configured to deliver audio corresponding to the auscultation signals through earpieces on the headset. The electronic stethoscope further includes a processor disposed in the housing and configured to convert the auscultation signals to first digital signals representative of the auscultation signals and to wirelessly transmit the first digital signals from the electronic stethoscope via a secure digital network to a second location such that the audio corresponding to the auscultation signals is provided to headsets of one or more additional electronic stethoscopes at the second location in substantial real time with the sensing of the auscultation sounds at the first location.

1 . A bioacoustic sensor system comprising:
 a housing configured for hand-held manipulation;   
       a transducer supported by the housing that senses auscultation signals at a first location; 
       a headset configured to deliver audio corresponding to the auscultation signals through earpieces on the headset; and 
       a processor disposed in the housing and configured to convert the auscultation signals to first digital signals representative of the auscultation signals and to wirelessly transmit the first digital signals from the bioacoustic sensor via a digital network to the headset in substantial real time with the sensing of the auscultation sounds at the first location; wherein the audio received by the headset corresponding to the auscultation signals is a digitally exact replica of the auscultation sounds sensed at the first location. 
     
     
         2 . The bioacoustic sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the transducer receives ambient audio at the first location, and wherein the processor is further configured to convert the ambient audio to second digital signals representative of the ambient audio and to wirelessly transmit the second digital signals with the first digital signals to the headset via the digital network. 
     
     
         3 . The bioacoustic sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor communicates over a secure personal area network via radio frequency signals. 
     
     
         4 . The bioacoustic sensor system of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 a first antenna configured to wirelessly transmit the first digital signals from the electronic stethoscope via the secure digital connection.   
     
     
         5 . The bioacoustic sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the headset comprises a second antenna. 
     
     
         6 . The bioacoustic sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to wirelessly receive signals from the headset via the digital network. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The bioacoustic sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a wireless chestpiece. 
     
     
         9 . The bioacoustic sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the headset includes a network interface. 
     
     
         10 . The bioacoustic sensor system of  claim 9 , wherein the network interface includes a personal area network hub. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The bioacoustic sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is releasably retainable in the headset via a fastener. 
     
     
         14 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A telemedicine system comprising: 
       a local bioacoustic sensor configured to sense auscultation signals from a patient and convert the signals to digital signals representative of auscultation signals; 
       a network interface connecting the local bioacoustic sensor to one or more additional electronic stethoscopes via a secure digital network, wherein each of the one or more additional electronic stethoscopes is configured to receive the digital signals representative of the auscultation signals via the secure digital network and to convert the digital signals to audio corresponding to the auscultation signals, wherein the audio is delivered through earpieces on a wireless headset coupled to at least one of the one or more additional electronic stethoscopes in substantial real time with the sensing of the auscultation sounds by the bioacoustic sensor;
 wherein the network interface is a wearable personal area network hub, and wherein each of the local bioacoustic sensor and one or more additional electronic stethoscopes connect to the personal area network hub via a personal area network connection. 
 
     
     
         19 . The telemedicine system of  claim 18 , wherein the audio delivered to the wireless headset of at least one of the one or more additional electronic stethoscopes is a digitally exact replica of the auscultation sounds sensed by the local electronic stethoscope. 
     
     
         20 . The telemedicine system of  claim 19 , wherein the local bioacoustic sensor is further configured to wirelessly receive signals from the one or more additional electronic stethoscopes via the network interface. 
     
     
         21 . The telemedicine system of  claim 18 , wherein the personal area network hub is disposed in a wireless headset of an additional electronic stethoscope. 
     
     
         22 . The telemedicine system of  claim 18 , wherein the local bioacoustic sensor is communicatively coupled to a wireless headset and the personal area network hub is disposed in the local wireless headset. 
     
     
         23 . A wireless headset for use in auscultation, the headset comprising:
 a first ear tube and a second ear tube configured to deliver audio corresponding to acoustic signals through corresponding first and second earpieces on the headset   a yolk coupled to first and second ear tubes;   a communication system configured to receive digital signals from a bioacoustic sensor via a digital network in substantial real time, wherein the communication system includes a personal area network hub and wherein the communication system and the bioacoustic sensor are connectable to the personal area network hub via a personal area network connection.   
     
     
         24 . The wireless headset of  claim 23 , wherein the personal area network hub comprises a Bluetooth network. 
     
     
         25 . The wireless headset of  claim 23 , wherein the personal area network hub comprises a wireless network access point. 
     
     
         26 - 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A method for establishing communication between two devices, the method comprising:
 providing a first device having a first communications system configured to establish a wireless communication link and a first sensor configured to generate an acceleration profile in response to movement of the first device;   providing a second device having a second communications system configured to establish a wireless communication link and a second sensor configured to generate an acceleration profile in response to movement of the second device;   moving the first device and the second device such that a first acceleration profile generated by the first sensor is at least similar to a second acceleration profile generated by the second sensor;   verifying the first acceleration profile matches the second acceleration profile; and   establishing a network connection between the first and second device.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the first device is a headset and the second device is a bioacoustic sensor. 
     
     
         30 - 31 . (canceled)