Stethoscope - An essential diagnostic tool or a relic of the past?

Advances in Portable and Wearable Acoustic Sensing Devices for Human Health Monitoring

The practice of auscultation, interpreting body sounds to assess organ health, has greatly benefited from technological advancements in sensing and electronics. The advent of portable and wearable acoustic sensing devices marks a significant milestone in telemedicine, home health, and clinical diagnostics. This review summarises the contemporary advancements in acoustic sensing devices, categorized based on varied sensing principles, including capacitive, piezoelectric, and triboelectric mechanisms. Some representative acoustic sensing devices are introduced from the perspective of portability and wearability. Additionally, the characteristics of sound signals from different human organs and practical applications of acoustic sensing devices are exemplified. Challenges and prospective trends in portable and wearable acoustic sensors are also discussed, providing insights into future research directions.

The History and Evolution of the Stethoscope

This paper is a summary of the evolution of the stethoscope. It goes through the major stages of stethoscope evolution, starting with the first recorded breath sounds and going all the way to the most recent, entirely automated stethoscope pads. The iconic stethoscope has undergone many changes and evolved with the times to earn its place slung around the neck of a physician. This review traces its journey.