A low-cost 3-D printed stethoscope connected to a smartphone

Abstract

We demonstrate the fabrication of a digital stethoscope using a 3D printer and commercial off-the-shelf electronics. A chestpiece consists of an electret microphone embedded into the drum of a 3D printed chestpiece. An electronic dongle amplifies the signal from the microphone and reduces any external noise. It also adjusts the signal to the voltages accepted by the smartphones headset jack. A graphical user interface programmed in Android displays the signals processed by the dongle. The application also saves the processed signal and sends it to a physician.