AI and Acoustic Health

Doctors have been listening to the sounds our bodies make for centuries. Before the invention of stethoscopes, they simply put their ears to their patients' chests or abdomens, to listen to the sounds produced by our body's internal workings. Today, the practice of auscultation, using a stethoscope to examine a patient, has evolved into a sophisticated diagnostic tool that provides valuable insights into various aspects of our health: lungs, heart, bowel, vocal cords, joints, arterial conditions, sleep quality and more. Moreover, by amalgamating biomarkers and clinical data with a myriad of acoustic cues like sneezes, breath patterns, speech, throat clearings, wheezes, and more, the healthcare decision-making process stands poised for remarkable enhancement. 

Auscultation is a valuable diagnostic tool because it is safe and noninvasive. Doctors place their stethoscopes at various positions on the chest to listen to different heart valves. The sounds they hear include the closure of valves, blood flow, and vibrations of heart tissues. A swishing sound may indicate a heart murmur, which can be benign or serious. In some cases, doctors may hear a sound resembling the rubbing together of two pieces of leather. It can be a sign of pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart. 

Modern medicine embraces technology to enhance diagnostic accuracy. Digital stethoscopes, for instance, enable the development of integrated artificial intelligence (AI) systems. These AI-assisted auscultation tools aim to remove subjectivity, improve diagnostic precision, and compensate for diminishing auscultatory skills. However, a key challenge lies in normalizing data across devices, as the frequency responses of stethoscopes from various manufacturers can differ significantly.

Innovations in auscultation aren't limited to medical settings. SleepRoutine, an app developed by Asleep Inc., utilizes deep learning algorithms trained with breathing sound data from Seoul National University Bundang Hospital to offer efficient sleep tracking. It offers a non-intrusive and convenient approach to understanding and improving sleep quality. Feedback and feedforward microphones integral to active noise canceling (ANC) hearables can tune in to heartbeats, while feedforward microphones capture the rhythm of respirations. 

The application of body sounds in medical diagnostics is expanding. Previous studies have explored the use of bowel sounds in a wide range of conditions, from intestinal issues to neurological disorders. With the integration of AI technologies, the potential for more advanced diagnostic tools becomes evident. AI-driven analysis of bowel sounds holds promise in creating accessible, patient-friendly, and cost-effective devices that eliminate risks associated with radiation or invasive procedures. The emergence of microwave-based digital phonoenterography opens exciting opportunities for gastrointestinal health. Acoustic monitoring using AI analysis technology has the potential to diagnose various pathological conditions, such as wheezing and blistering sounds and in assessing upper airway presence of fluid, to quantify aspiration risk during monitored anaesthesia care. 

Incorporating AI techniques into body sound analysis not only assists medical professionals in diagnosing various pathologies but also empowers individuals to take a proactive role in tracking their health independently. These advancements underscore the ever-evolving intersection of technology and healthcare, promising better outcomes and a deeper understanding of our well-being.


REFERENCES

Lee T, Cho Y, Cha KS, Jung J, Cho J, Kim H, Kim D, Hong J, Lee D, Keum M, Kushida CA, Yoon IY, Kim JW. Accuracy of 11 Wearable, Nearable, and Airable Consumer Sleep Trackers: Prospective Multicenter Validation Study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2023 Nov 2;11:e50983. doi: 10.2196/50983. PMID: 37917155.

Arjoune Y, Nguyen TN, Doroshow RW, Shekhar R. Technical characterisation of digital stethoscopes: towards scalable artificial intelligence-based auscultation. Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology. 2023 Apr 3;47(3):165-78.

.Redij R, Kaur A, Muddaloor P, Sethi AK, Aedma K, Rajagopal A, Gopalakrishnan K, Yadav A, Damani DN, Chedid VG, Wang XJ. Practicing Digital Gastroenterology through Phonoenterography Leveraging Artificial Intelligence: Future Perspectives Using Microwave Systems. Sensors. 2023 Feb 18;23(4):2302.

Soomro AM, Naeem AB, Rajwana MA, Bashir MY, Senapati B. Advancements in AI-Guided Analysis of Cough Sounds for COVID-19 Screening: A Comprehensive Review. Journal of Computing & Biomedical Informatics. 2023 Jun 5;5(01):105-17.

https://blog.research.google/2023/10/audioplethysmography-for-cardiac.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Arm Position Matters for Accurate Blood Pressure Readings

Image
Small changes in positioning can lead to big changes in your blood pressure readings, which can impact your heart health and treatment plan.  A new study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine has found that how your arm is positioned when taking blood pressure readings can significantly affect the results. Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the study reveals that common nonstandard arm positions often used in clinical settings can lead to an overestimation of blood pressure (BP), potentially leading to misdiagnosis of hypertension. The study tested three different arm positions on 133 adults:  - Arm supported on a desk (the standard recommended position): This is the position recommended by clinical guidelines, where the arm is placed at heart level and supported on a firm surface.  - Arm resting on the lap : This position overestimated systolic BP (the top number) by 3.9 mmHg and diastolic BP (the bottom number) by 4.0 mmHg.  - Arm unsupported at the side ...
Read more

Wearable Technology for Predicting Postoperative Pulmonary Complications

Image
Postoperative Pulmonary Complications (PPCs) encompass a variety of lung-related issues that can arise after surgeries, especially after major operations like cardiac valve surgery. These complications range from pneumonia and respiratory failure to atelectasis (the partial or complete collapse of the lung), bronchospasm (airway constriction), pleural effusion (fluid accumulation around the lungs), and pulmonary embolism (a lung blood clot). In the rapidly advancing field of healthcare technology, wearable devices are emerging as key tools for predicting and mitigating postoperative complications. Highlighting this trend, a recent exploratory study by Wang et al. explores the potential of wearables in predicting PPCs following cardiac valve surgery. Their study, "A wearable six-minute walk-based system to predict postoperative pulmonary complications after cardiac valve surgery: an exploratory study," examines how wearable technology can be integrated into clinical settings. ...
Read more

Emerging Therapies in Heart Failure Management

Image
Heart failure is a significant global health challenge, affecting millions of people worldwide. It arises from various causes, including ischemic heart disease, hypertension, valvular abnormalities, and cardiomyopathies. The primary issue in heart failure is the heart's inability to efficiently pump blood, leading to debilitating symptoms and high mortality rates. Traditional management has focused on alleviating symptoms and enhancing cardiac function through medications and device-based interventions.  Despite the progress in conventional treatments, heart failure continues to be a clinical challenge due to complex underlying mechanisms such as neurohormonal activation, cardiac fibrosis, and cellular remodeling. Several emerging therapies could address these challenges.     Gene therapy , including gene-editing techniques like CRISPR-Cas9, for correcting genetic mutations contributing to heart failure, offers a promising avenue for addressing the root causes of this con...
Read more