IIT-B Researchers Develop A Stethoscope That Can Listen To Heart Beats From A Distance

A team of researchers at IIT-B (Indian Institute of Technology of Bombay) has created a “digital stethoscope” capable of hearing heartbeats from afar and record them. This invention can minimize the risk of healthcare workers being infected with the virus.

The auscultated sound of the chest of a patient is sent via Bluetooth to the doctor, getting rid of the need of going near to the patient to take readings.

The IIT-B team has already received a patent for this device. The auscultated sound is stored as part of a health record and can be shared between doctors for follow-ups as well as analysis.

The team named its invention “AyuDevice.” 1,000 stethoscopes have been sent to different healthcare centers and hospitals around the country. The team developed the stethoscopes with clinical data from doctors at PD Hinduja Hospital and Reliance Hospital.

Adarhsa K said that patients contracted with COVID-19 often have shortness of breath which leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome. A traditional stethoscope is used to listen to the sounds in the patient’s chest like wheezing and crackles. These sounds appear as the disease progresses.

The digital stethoscope has a tube that connects to two earpieces. Sounds are transmitted from the body while background noise is eliminated so that it would not interfere with diagnosis.

The second advantage of the stethoscope is that it can amplify as well as filtering several sounds. These sounds are then translated into an electronic signal and amplified further for optimal listening.

The signal can be displayed on a laptop or smartphone as a phonocardiogram. Meanwhile, a regular stethoscope can’t record these sounds and share them between doctors.

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