Sound Synchronisation Technology Seemingly Fastens Heart Disease Diagnosis
June 6th, 2011 | Related entries: Health and Medicine
Heart disease apparently is the leading cause of death in the UK. In an attempt to tackle this fatal ailment, a Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) team has now introduced a novel computer-based technology dubbed DigiScope that synchronises the various sounds collected by the new stethoscope and which make up a human heartbeat. The sound can be further analyzed through a technique named independent component analysis (ICA), accompanied by data presented on a laptop or desktop computer in easy-to-understand graphs.
These may provide a visual representation of the heartbeat and any anomalies in it. Apparently the ICA is only capable of tracking down heartbeats if all the different sounds that make up an individual’s heartbeat are brought together as one overall sound. Just like a conventional stethoscope, the new stethoscope too purportedly captures four sounds one after another. Then the computer-based technology turns these separate sounds into one combined signal which ICA can then process.
“It’s the multidisciplinary character of this exciting international collaboration that has enabled it to produce such a promising outcome. Two prototype DigiScopes are already in use to test their capabilities. The development will not remove the need for specialist cardiac units, it will simply make it easier to identify potential heart problems at an earlier stage,” shared Professor Mark Plumbley, who has led the QMUL work.
Through conventional stethoscopes, the identification of a potential heart problem appears to be completely reliant on the expertise and listening skills of the GP. In conclusion, it was asserted that the newly developed synchronisation technology plays a vital bridging role between the new stethoscope and ICA.
The unique technology was revealed on 25 May at the 36th International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing held in Prague in the Czech Republic.