Preliminary Development of a Full-Digital Smart System for Chest Auscultation and Further Internet of Medical Things Framework

In this article, we report the design and initial testing of a device which paves the path to the realization of a low-cost wearable device for detecting heart and lung tones for telemedical and long-term monitoring applications. In the current practise, the capability to assess chest and lung sound characteristics heavily depends on the experience of the clinician and a device which minimizes the human factor is highly in demand. In particular, this work addresses the development of a smart device based on the novel approach of digital Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) microphones capable of operating in a wide frequency range and low noise ratio. The aim is to propose in future developments Artificial intelligence-based algorithms for patient monitoring, a medical diagnostic decision support system, belonging to the Internet of Medical Things framework.