Cantilevered bioacoustic sensor and method using same
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsVivek Bharti, Hatim M. Carim, Fred L. DeRoos
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Abstract
A sensor for sensing bioacoustic energy includes a housing comprising an interfacing portion configured to establish coupling with a body part during use of the sensor. An anchoring arrangement is defined on the housing. A transducer member has an anchoring end and at least one free end. The anchoring end of the transducer is coupled to the housing such that the transducer member is arranged to be preferentially sensitive to bioacoustic energy transferred to the transducer via the interfacing portion relative to other portions of the housing.
Claims20
A sensor for sensing bioacoustic energy, comprising:
- a housing comprising an interfacing portion, the interfacing portion of the housing configured to establish coupling with a body part during use of the sensor;
- a transducer assembly comprising:
- an anchoring arrangement, and
- a transducer, the transducer comprising a polymeric piezoelectric film adapted to modulate or generate an electrical signal in response to deformation, the transducer including only one free end and being cantilevered, the transducer being fixedly coupled to the housing at an anchoring location via the anchoring arrangement such that the transducer is arranged to be preferentially sensitive to bioacoustic energy transferred to the transducer via the interfacing portion of the housing relative to other portions of the housing;
- and
- at least one conductor coupled to the transducer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.