Virtual Booth

This study addresses the limitations of conventional stethoscopes, which are restricted to single-user operation, depend heavily on the user’s auditory ability, and are easily affected by background noise. These issues reduce diagnostic accuracy and hinder collaborative learning, especially in busy clinical settings or during infectious disease outbreaks. The research aims to develop an affordable digital stethoscope with speaker output that enables multiple users to hear heart sounds simultaneously, supporting both medical training and infection control. The proposed system integrates a conventional analog stethoscope with a high-sensitivity microphone preamplifier, an external speaker, and digital signal processing (DSP). This combination allows heart sounds to be amplified, filtered, and reproduced without the need for earpieces. The device casing is constructed using High-Pressure Laminate (HPL) and multiplex wood, while acoustic foam is added to reduce external noise. Heart sounds are captured through a microphone and processed using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and a 20–150 Hz band-pass filter to isolate key cardiac frequencies. Testing in a controlled clinical environment showed that the prototype successfully captured heart sounds, with a dominant frequency around 97 Hz, consistent with normal heartbeat characteristics. The system also clearly identified the first (S1) and second (S2) heart sounds. Although ambient noise still affected clarity, the prototype proved effective for group auscultation. Overall, the speaker-output digital stethoscope offers a practical, low-cost solution for clinical and educational use, particularly in resource-limited settings.