US4701952A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and liquid tube audio system for medical use
Assignee: Noise Cancellation Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1986-10-27
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Granted: 1987-10-20
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Expires: 2006-10-27
Abstract
Abstract A confined system of sound transmission from a frequency attenuation compensated source through plastic pneumatic tubes in series with liquid tubes of considerable length, transmitting audio to and through pneumatic headphones to the ear canals of the user. It is an audio system suitable for use in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance scanning environments and for use in CAT scan environments. The system includes a stereo program source playing into a stereo frequency compensation amplifier driving right and left loudspeaker pneumatic drivers feeding audio to and through long liquid tubes in series with pneumatic tubes extended to left and right earphones of plastic headphones worn by a patient in a scan room environment. The tubes that extend from the electronic audio system equipment outside the scan room through scan room walls to the patient headphones and the headphones themselves are made of plastic or other non-magnetic materials causing no interference with the scanning signals and are not visible on scan pictures produced.
Inventors
- 👤 Jefferson H. Taylor
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 09:15
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R33/00; G01R33/20; G01R33/28; G01R33/283; A; A61; A61B; A61B6/00; A61B6/04; A61B6/0407; A61B6/0442; H; H04; H04R; H04R3/00; H04R3/04; H04R1/00; H04R1/10; H04R1/1041; H04R1/20; H04R1/32; H04R1/34; H04R1/345; H04R5/00; H04R5/033
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
244 words
A frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and acoustic tube audio system comprising: pneumatic tube driver means; acoustic plastic tube means transparent to scanning fields such as a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance field and in a length range of approximately ten to fifty feet; plastic material pneumatic headphones for a user that are transparent to scanning signals so as to not cause interference with scanning signals; pneumatic tube driver means for driving audio signals through said acoustic plastic tube means and said pneumatic headphones to the ears of a user; program signal source means; a frequency response compensation amplifier connected to the output of said program signal source means that with progressively higher frequencies boosts the higher frequencies to compensate for the increasing attenuation of progressively higher frequencies as audio is passed through said acoustic tube means; circuit means interconnecting said compensation amplifier and said pneumatic tube driver means; including pneumatic driver amplifier means interconnecting said compensation amplifier and said pneumatic tube driver means; wherein said program signal source means is a stereo signal source; said compensation amplifier is a stereo signal two channel amplifier; monitor speaker means is connected directly to said program signal source means; said pneumatic driver amplifier means includes a stereo control amplifier and left and right pneumatic driver amplifiers; and wherein said compensation amplifier includes settable resistance valve means for adjusting higher frequency boost compensation for different length acoustic plastic tube means of substantially matched pair lengths used in different installations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
244 words
A frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and acoustic tube audio system comprising: pneumatic tube driver means; acoustic plastic tube means transparent to scanning fields such as a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance field and in a length range of approximately ten to fifty feet; plastic material pneumatic headphones for a user that are transparent to scanning signals so as to not cause interference with scanning signals; pneumatic tube driver means for driving audio signals through said acoustic plastic tube means and said pneumatic headphones to the ears of a user; program signal source means; a frequency response compensation amplifier connected to the output of said program signal source means that with progressively higher frequencies boosts the higher frequencies to compensate for the increasing attenuation of progressively higher frequencies as audio is passed through said acoustic tube means; circuit means interconnecting said compensation amplifier and said pneumatic tube driver means; including pneumatic driver amplifier means interconnecting said compensation amplifier and said pneumatic tube driver means; wherein said program signal source means is a stereo signal source; said compensation amplifier is a stereo signal two channel amplifier; monitor speaker means is connected directly to said program signal source means; said pneumatic driver amplifier means includes a stereo control amplifier and left and right pneumatic driver amplifiers; and wherein said compensation amplifier includes settable resistance valve means for adjusting higher frequency boost compensation for different length acoustic plastic tube means of substantially matched pair lengths used in different installations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
71 words
The frequency attenuation compensation pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 1, wherein a microphone and microphone amplifier are included with the audio system also including switch means in the input circuit path to said compensation amplifier connected to the output of said microphone amplifier and connected to the output of said program signal source means and controllable for switching between said program signal source means and said microphone amplifier.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The frequency attenuation compensation pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 2, wherein said switch means is a relay switch connected to an operator operated power switch.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The frequency attenuation compensation pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 1, wherein said settable resistance value means is a potentiometer with an adjustably settable tap.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
61 words
The frequency attenuation compensation pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 1, wherein pneumatic plastic tube means is included in said acoustic plastic tube means; and said compensation amplifier has RC input network means that sets low frequency roll-off such that headphone response is essentially flat with shorter lengths of pneumatic tubing in the ten foot to twenty foot range.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
98 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 1, wherein pneumatic plastic tube means is included in said acoustic plastic tube means; and said pneumatic driver means includes a box means enclosing a loudspeaker means with cavity means between the loudspeaker and the front end wall of the box; a hole in said end wall in open communication with said cavity means; and with a tubing end of said pneumatic plastic tube means received in said hole in said end wall for importing into and through the tubing audio signalling generated in said loudspeaker.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
75 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 6, wherein said box means comprises two used as said pneumatic driver means one a left pneumatic driver and the other a right pneumatic driver connected to left and right pneumatic plastic tubes of approximately the same length that in turn are extended to and feed left and right stereo signals to left and right earphones, respectively, of said plastic material pneumatic headphones.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
91 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 1, wherein said program signal source is a left and right channel stereo program signal source; said compensation amplifier is a two channel stereo amplifier; and said pneumatic tube driver means is a two speaker boxes each enclosing a loud speaker and feeding audio signals to a pneumatic plastic tube portion of said acoustic plastic tube means connected to each; and with the two tubes of approximately the same length connected to left and right earphones of a headset.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 8, wherein said circuit means includes pneumatic driver stereo amplifier means interconnecting said two channel stereo amplifier and said two speaker boxes comprising said pneumatic driver means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
57 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 9, wherein said compensation amplifier has an RC input network means in each of two input channels that set low frequency roll-off such that headphone response is essentially flat through shorter lengths of said pneumatic tube portion in the ten foot to twenty foot range.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
88 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 10, wherein each of said boxes encloses a loudspeaker on a cavity wall with a cavity between the loudspeaker and a front wall of the box; a hole in said front wall in open communication with said cavity; a resonant chamber behind the loudspeaker; and with a tubing end of said pneumatic plastic tube portion received in said hole in said front wall for imparting into and through the tubing audio signalling generated in said loudspeaker.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
90 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 11, wherein a microphone and microphone amplifier is included with the audio system; switch means is included in the left and right channel input circuits paths to said stereo compensation amplifier; and with said switch means connected to the output of said microphone amplifier and connected to the left and right channel outputs of said stereo program signal source means; and wherein said switch means is a multi-contact relay switch connected to an operator controlled power on/off switch.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 1, wherein said acoustic tubing includes both pneumatic plastic tubing and liquid plastic tubing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 13, wherein the pneumatic plastic tubing is included in a left channel and in a right channel of said acoustic tubing.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 14, wherein the total length of pneumatic plastic tubing is substantially equal between said left and right channels of acoustic tubing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 15, wherein most of the acoustic tubing length in both said left and right channels is liquid plastic tubing.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 16, wherein said liquid plastic tubing is made up in sections with a liquid retaining diaphragm in a pneumatic to liquid acoustic transducer at each end of each of said liquid plastic tubing sections.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
51 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 17, wherein pneumatic tube lengths interconnect said pneumatic tube driver means and liquid plastic tubing sections in both said left and right channels; and pneumatic tube headphone section lengths interconnect said liquid plastic tubing sections and said pneumatic headphones.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
The frequency attenuation compensated pneumatic headphone and tube audio system of claim 17, wherein a pneumatic to liquid acoustic transducer of each of said liquid plastic tubing sections is directly connected to said pneumatic tube driver means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-10-19 | 1991-04-20 | 1991-10-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-10-19 | 1995-04-20 | 1995-10-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-10-19 | 1999-04-20 | 1999-10-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |