US2858898A - Cinquini - Google Patents

Description

c. ClNQUlNl 2,858,898

AUSCULTATION AND PERCUSSION SOUNDING INSTRUMENT Nov. 4, 1958 Filed July 29, 1953 I INVENTOR.

(A RL 0 C/lVOl/M/ AGENT United AND PERCUSSION SOUNDING INSTRUMENT Carlo Cinquini, Milan, Italy Application July 29, 1953, Serial No. 371,040 Claims priority, application Italy August 2, 1952 3 Claims. (Cl. 181--24) AUSCULTATION ment to assume a disadvantageous overall size, which often actually hinders the sounding of certain parts of the body of patients whose conditions prescribe absolute immobility. Other improved phonendoscope types provide a forked peripheral tubular extension instead of said perpendicular pieces, but inasmuch as it is necessary to take hold of the phonendoscope by hand, the same above mentioned inconveniences arise from the size of this h man organ. Furthermore, there are already known improved phonendoscopes wherein means are provided for regulating the sound reception and amplifying characteristics of the instrument, but these provisions do not assure satisfactory results and these means are placed so that the same above mentioned disadvantages arise therefrom. Another important drawback arises from the disturbing influence of the hand which has to grip the phonendoscope on the sound chamber and on the flexible binaural tubes, which influence may alter the sounding results.

On the other hand the percussion sounding hammer is generally provided as an independent element of the physicians kit, and since it contributes generally to encumber even more the limited room of, for instance, a portable medical case, it is often left out and undesirable consequences may arise therefrom.

It is accordingly a first object of'the invention to provide an instrument suitable to perform both the functions of sounding patients by auscultation as well as by percussion.

A further object of the invention is to provide means designed to insulate the sound chamber of the instrument as well with respect to the physicians hand as with respect to other external influences, thereby improving the detection and sensing of the sounds.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an instrument allowing the physician (without any other means besides those necessary in order to attain the first of said objects) to examine by auscultation such organs of a patient whose condition renders him unable to move and therefore causes these organs to be generally inaccessible to other conventional instruments of this class.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for regulating the acoustic characteristics of the sound chamber of the instrument, such means being able to serve also to sense the cutaneous sensitivity and to detect the relative reflexes.

These and other objects are attained by the instrument rates Patent according to the invention, wherein the acoustic chamber, formed as a cavity in the instrument body and having a vibrating diaphragm closure, is provided with a peripheral tubular rigid extension constituting a handle for the instrument, the free end thereof being suitably forked so as to allow the flexible binaural tubes to be connected thereto; the marginal wall of said chamber being provided with a coating of yielding material; means being provided in combination with said chamber forregulating the acoustic characteristics thereof.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a preferred embodiment of an instrument according to the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a cross section along the line IIII of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the instrument is formed by a generally circular body 1, having a large circular recess 2 which forms the acoustic chamber. The front part of the edge of body 1 is threaded at 3 so that a ring 4 may be screwed thereon in order to secure to said edge a vibrating diaphragm 5. The rear part of said edge of the body 1 is provided with an annular groove 6 designed to receive a ring 7 of yielding material, such as rubber or the like, which serves to insulate the chamber 2 from external disturbances and to damp the sounding percussions. The chamber 2 is connected through the hole 8 with two passages 9, 10. A nipple 17, traversed by the passage 10, extends outwardly from body 1 and passes through ring 7. A tubular handle 11 is connected to the passage 9 and forms the rigid extension according to the invention; a pointed-apex screw 12 having, its threaded stern partially faceted at 12' and terminating in a knurled head 13 is screwed into nipple 17 and thus extends within the second passage 10. The handle 11 is slightly curved in order to permit the hand which grips it to be sufliciently spaced from the organ to be sounded so as to afford easy gripping as well as suflicient pressure of the diaphragm upon the human organ referred to. Said handle is provided at its end with a tubular extension 14, with forked free ends 15, 16 to which the binaural tubes (not shown) are to be connected.

Thus the physician or the examiner can grip the handle 11 and displace the body 1 till it reaches the organ to be sounded by auscultation. The vibrations of the sensitive diaphragm 5 are transmitted to the air which is stored in the chamber 2 and from here through hole 8 and passage 9 to the extensions 11 and 141516 reaching the binaural tubes. Inasmuch as the handle 11 is of sufficient length, no contact can occur between the hand of the examiner and the flexible binaural tubes, and therefore no disturbance affects the latter.

It is obvious that the body can be gripped also by means of the rubber ring 7 assuring to the same extent as in the above considered instance a complete insulation of the instrument from the possible disturbances arising from the physicians hand.

In order to adjust the acoustic characteristics of chainber 2, the screw 12 has to be tightened or loosened, for instance by the thumb of the hand which grips the handle 11, thus permitting the user to adjust or to interrupt the communication of the interior of the chamber 2 with the atmosphere, along the clearance between the passage 10 and the faceted screw face 12.

The ring 7 of rubber or the like enables the instrument during its use as a percussion hammer to have its percussions damped, since said ring forms the contact surface. Obviously the component elements and materials of the Patented Nov. 4, 1958' instrument are selected so as to afford the necessary weight for the hammer.

The pointed-apex screw 12, besides providing an adjusting means, may serve to sense the cutaneous sensitivity and the neuromotor reflexes.

Since certain changes may be made in the construction set forth and in carrying out the above device, and different embodiments of the invention may be provided without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A medical sounding instrument comprising a flat, disk-like body provided with an internal cavity and having one of its faces formed with a recess communicating with said cavity, a vibratory diaphragm overlying said recess, said body having a pair of divergent passages extending from said cavity to the periphery of said body, an elon gated tubular handle extending radially from said body and having a bore communicating with one of said passages, and an elongated control member extending beyond the periphery of said body Within the other of said passages and surrounded beyond said periphery by an integral radial extension of said body, said control member having an extremity projecting beyond said extension for varying the degree of acoustic coupling between said cavity and the surrounding atmosphere by changing the position of said member within said other passage, said body being provided along its periphery with resilient cushioning means traversed by said extension.

2. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein said control member is a needle threadedly engaging a portion of said body and provided with a pointed extremity extending toward said cavity of said body, said needle having a faceted side forming a channel within said other passage, said projecting extremity comprising an enlarged head closing said passage in a limiting position of said needle.

3. A medical sounding instrument comprising a flat, disk-like body provided with an internal cavity and having one of its faces formed with a recess communicating with said cavity, a vibratory diaphragm overlying said recess, said body being provided with an integral radial extension having a central bore communicating with said cavity, said body further having a radial passage, said bore and said passage extending at an acute angle to each other Within a plane parallel to said diaphragm, an elongated tubular handle extending radially from said body and having its interior communicating with said passage, and a needle-shaped control member threadedly received in said extension and provided with a head positioned beyond said extension, said member having a faceted side forming a channel within said bore which communicates with the surrounding atmosphere except in a position in which said head abuts said extension whereby the degree of coupling between said cavity and the surrounding atmosphere may be varied by changing the position of said member within said bore.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 872,448 Penhall'ow Dec. 3, 1907 899,815 Townsend Sept. 29, 1908 1,485,124 Myres Feb. 26, 1924 1,658,327 Dodge Feb. 7, 1928 1,708,398 Pilling Apr. 9, 1929 1,763,687 Chadwick et al. June 17, 1930 2,158,764 Silka May 16, 1939 2,196,342 Ruttenberg Apr. 9, 1940 2,299,749 Howard Oct. 27, 1942 2,301,638 Olson Nov. 10, 1942 2,342,334 FaltiCO Feb. 22, 1944 2,358,099 Polk Sept. 12, 1944 2,515,471 Ratzan July 18, 1950 2,541,164 Huenlich Feb. 13, 1

FOREIGN PATENTS 214,154 Great Britain Apr. 17, 1924

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