Development of a Low-Cost Wireless Phonocardiograph Using Bluetooth Module with a User Friendly Smartphone Application

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a significant global public health issue. The implementation of automated tools for early diagnosis of CVDs holds considerable advantages, particularly in countries with limited resources. Phonocardiography (PCG), which records heart sounds using a stethoscope, offers a non-invasive technique for early CVD detection. However, conventional PCG setups lack portability and real-time monitoring capabilities. This work presents the development and implementation of a novel wireless phonocardiograph system combined with a web and smartphone application for remote recording and analysis of heart sounds. The system utilizes a readily available stethoscope chest-piece coupled with a highly sensitive microphone and a Bluetooth module. This innovative design offers several advantages over commercial PCG instruments such as cost-effectiveness, portability, and the capability to capture heart sounds remotely using a smartphone. Moreover, a web and smartphone application has been developed respectively for this system, enabling real-time visualization, listening, recording, and storing of PCG data. The device was tested on 30 individuals (15 males and 15 females) to validate its functionality. To verify the performance of the obtained results the PCG data of the same subjects were also recorded using a BIOPAC MP36 module. Both the obtained results were closely aligned. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the system in capturing clear heart sound recordings suitable for further analysis and potential diagnosis of CVDs.