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 closur...