Foetal Acoustic Simulator

Foetal phonocardiography is the passive recording of foetal heart sounds. It is a valuable alternative to existing expensive technologies like foetal electrocardiography, cardiotochography etc. for ensuring the wellbeing of the foetus. To test and validate foetal heart monitoring system based on phonocardiography, a foetal acoustic simulator model was developed which simulates acoustical states of foetus such as bradycardia, tachycardia, etc. during pregnancy. The generated foetal heart sounds and noises are played from the speaker and recorded using electronic stethoscope from the surface of the water filled balloon. The acquired signals from foetal acoustic simulator are then analyzed to determine whether the signals resemble that of the real foetal phonocardiogram recordings.