An innovative approach towards E-health in development of tele auscultation system for heart using GSM mobile communication technology

Abstract

Health is one of the major issues for normal existence of human life and it is a global agenda to increase the health care facilities for the peoples who don't have an immediate access to these facilities and are living in rural and undeveloped areas. From the beginning of twenty first century field of E-health has been developed rapidly to encounter these problems properly. The healthcare infrastructure gaining betterment day by day under the shadow of E-health technologies, where using mobile phones are becoming an efficient tool in monitoring and transmitting different physiological signals. Cardiac sound is an initiative physiological parameter that is helpful for diagnosing changes in physiological conditions and disease. Hence in this research a tele auscultation system is designed for the transmission of cardiac sounds to the medical practitioner from distant place by using an electronic stethoscope through a GSM (Global System for mobile communication) technology. The physiological signals of low frequency and voltages, after amplification and filtration can be easily transmitted with low noise interference in the signal. This portable wireless cardiac sound transmission device can send heart sounds of a patient just in one call. The information about the placement of stethoscope at different position of heart can be transmitted to medical practitioner through a SMS (Short Messaging Service). For the purpose stated a GSM modem of SIM900D is used which is interfaced with a Microcontroller Unit in order to control and send instructions to modem using AT (Attention) commands. Therefore, it is concluded that the cardiac sounds of a patient can be transmitted from the distant areas to the medical practitioner for the purpose of diagnosing many illness of the patients.