# US 9,521,483 B2 · Wearable physiological acoustic sensor

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- Number: US 9,521,483 B2
- Document ID: US9521483B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/159,663
- Filed: 2014-01-21
- Published: 2015-07-23
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-01-21
- Assignees: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
- Applicants: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
- Inventors: Bryan Severt Hallberg; Glenn Peter Piekstra
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521483B2

## CPC

- H04R 1/46: Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope (throat mountings H04R1/14)
- H04R 2410/05: Noise reduction with a separate noise microphone
- H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K)

## Abstract

A wearable physiological acoustic sensor has an embedded and stacked acoustic sensing component architecture that inhibits motion-related impulse noise and environmental background noise, and provides good body sound capture, good patient comfort and an unobtrusive presence. The embedded and stacked component architecture also includes an environmental microphone that enables cancellation of background noise for further noise reduction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wearable physiological acoustic sensor, comprising:
a plaster having a top layer and a bottom layer; and
an acoustic sensing component assembly including a component housing having a ceiling, a wall and a floor having a flange held between the top layer and the bottom layer, and further including a component stack embedded in the component housing having a body microphone configured to collect airborne body sounds received through an opening in the floor and in the bottom layer and an environmental microphone configured to collect environmental sounds received through an opening in the ceiling.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the component stack has a body microphone printed circuit board.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The sensor of claim 2, wherein the component assembly has a lower orifice running from the body microphone through the body microphone printed circuit board providing the body microphone with access to the airborne body sounds.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The sensor of claim 3, wherein the lower orifice runs from the body microphone to a body sound chamber disposed between the lower orifice and the floor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the component stack has an environmental microphone printed circuit board.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The sensor of claim 5, wherein the component assembly has an upper orifice running from the environmental microphone through the environmental microphone printed circuit board providing the environmental microphone with acoustic access.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The sensor of claim 6, wherein the upper orifice runs from the environmental microphone to the ceiling.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the body microphone and the environmental microphone are acoustically isolated from one another.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein acoustic isolation tape is disposed between the body microphone and the environmental microphone.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the component housing has a strain relief element projecting from the wall and the component assembly has an acoustic signal output line running through an opening in the strain relief element.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the flange is snugly retained between the top layer and the bottom layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the plaster has a preformed groove and the flange is held in the preformed groove.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the plaster has a removable protective backing that adheres to the bottom layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the component housing is centered on the plaster.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the component housing is made of silicone.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the component housing is substantially cylindrical.

### Claim 17

A wearable physiological acoustic sensor, comprising:
an acoustic sensing component housing having a ceiling, a wall and a floor forming an enclosure and a mounting flange circumnavigating the housing;
a plaster having a groove holding the mounting flange; and
an acoustic sensing component stack within the enclosure having a body microphone configured to collect airborne body sounds through aligned openings in the floor of the housing and the plaster and an environmental microphone configured to collect environmental sounds received through an opening in the ceiling of the housing.