Development of a Pressure-Sensing Handle for a Stethoscope

Abstract

Acoustic signals recorded with a stethoscope could be significantly affected by the probe-skin interface. The goal of this study was to develop a pressure-sensing device to measure and control the applied pressure at the probe-skin interface. Since placing a pressure sensor directly at the interface would block the transfer of acoustic signals, a custom-made handle was attached to the top of the stethoscope head. A handle was made of silicone rubber with an embedded pressure sensor that measures the force transferring from the hand to the stethoscope head. A microprocessor based device was also developed to provide a numerical readout of the force. This system was successfully built, providing accurate and repeatable pressure measurements. The resulting device should be useful for standardizing the applied pressure at the probe-skin interface for acoustic measurements with a stethoscope.