Development of a 3D printed stethoscope for virtual cardiac auscultation examination training

Cardiac auscultation allows diagnosing the heart by listening to its sounds. Current cardiac auscultation training is seeing a preference towards diagnostics equipment such as the echocardiograph that allows visualizing and listening to the heart to determine how the heart is working, rather than the use of the stethoscope which only provides auditory feedback, resulting in a loss of stethoscope-based cardiac auscultation skills which are relevant in situations where it is the only cost-effective option available. Currently, virtual reality, simulation, and games are taking a prominent role in medical training, providing consumer-level immersive and interactive realistic experiences. Within these fields, user interfaces can provide more appropriate forms of interactions for developing cognitive and psychomotor skills. However, traditional controllers are widely employed and do not map adequately the functionality of real medical equipment, including the stethoscope. In this paper, we present the development of a 3D printed stethoscope prototype for practicing virtual cardiac auscultation examination training with a mobile app. Our goal is to evaluate its usability and user preferences during a virtual examination session.