System Overview

Provides objective evidence in place of the subjective information currently available by using a stethoscope.
Offers convenient and "user-friendly" testing for both patient and practitioner.
Completely non-invasive.
Provides documentation of both normal and abnormal lung sounds not previously available.
Demonstrates that lung sound patterns differ in different diseases.
Clinical successes in lung sound analysis point to large potential in other areas, such as cardiac care, gastrointestinal diagnosis and others.
Stethographics lung sound data can be read like EKG's; i.e. better than x-rays for diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Localization of lung sounds to their origin can pave the way for "CT-scan" type lung sound imaging - noninvasive and user friendly. (This feature is currently for educational purposes only)

This product consists of electronic stethoscopes embedded in foam padding for application to the patient, a signal conditioning box, analog to digital converter and a standard PC with sophisticated software developed by Stethographics.

The Multi-channel STG System provides lung sound information in three principle ways. First, the recorded lung sounds are displayed in a time-expanded waveform, which allows visual examination and audio playback of the data. The display of the traces, similar to an EKG, allows direct visual detection of the abnormalities. Each channel can be examined for crackles, wheezes, and irregular patterns of inspiration and expiration. Contrasts between abnormal data and data recorded for healthy individuals is pronounced.

Second, the computer automatically analyses acoustic energy vs. time and detects crackles, wheezes and rhonchi. Derived measures of the sound characteristics are displayed on an anatomical diagram to allow visualization of the spatial distribution of lung function and abnormalities. Further information on the overall amplitude of breath sounds, timing of the abnormalities, and crackle and wheeze counts is included in this display. Differences in abnormal patterns among different diseases become apparent in this context.

Finally, Stethographics' "automatic localization of intrathoracic sounds origin" technology is used to integrate information from multiple channels to generate a CAT scan type of screen with crackles and wheezes localized to specific lung regions. Advanced visualization software allows 3 dimensional modeling of the observations, 360 degree rotation, extraction of sectional views, and comparative views, to name a few. This feature of the STG software is currently for educational purposes only.