Basic digital stethoscopes retain the look and feel of acoustic stethoscopes but improve listening performance. High-end digital stethoscopes offer sophisticated capabilities, such as audio recording and playback, and provide data to visually chart results by connecting to an off-instrument display. This advanced functionality increases the physician’s diagnostic capability. The essential elements of a digital stethoscope are the sound transducer, the audio codec electronics, and the speakers. The sound trans-ducer is the most critical piece in the chain. It determines the diagnostic quality of the digital stethoscope.
Digital Stethoscope Block Diagram
