Portable digital esophageal stethoscope system

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiology
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Heart sounds offer crucial myocardial contractility and blood vessel information unobtainable via ECG.
• Stethoscopy of heart sounds is vital in anesthesiology for cardiac monitoring and preventing intraoperative accidents.
• Precise, objective measurement and analysis systems for heart sounds and murmurs are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a portable digital esophageal stethoscope (PDES) for objective quantification of heart sounds and murmurs.
• To design a PDES system for precise measurement and analysis of heart sound and murmur data.
• To create a device that enhances cardiac monitoring during anesthesia.

Main Methods:

• Designed and developed a portable digital esophageal stethoscope (PDES).
• Integrated an esophageal sensor to capture heart sound data.
• Developed self-developed software (Heart Sound 1.0) for real-time display of amplitude and waveform on a terminal or PC.
• Included body temperature measurement capability.

Main Results:

• The PDES system stably produced real-time data on heart sound and murmur amplitude and waveform.
• Auditory auscultation via headphones provided clear heart sounds without external noise interference.
• The PDES successfully complemented traditional esophageal stethoscopes by adding digital display and measurement capabilities.

Conclusions:

• The developed PDES enables continuous, objective stethoscopy of heart sounds and murmurs during operations.
• This device provides valuable heart sound data, potentially advancing research in cardiac diagnostics.
• The PDES enhances patient safety in anesthesiology by offering detailed, real-time cardiac information.