Additional data was obtained from the references of identified studies, the Cochrane Library, and the ISI Web of Knowledge. Two investigators (EA, RG) conducted independent literary research using Medline and Google Scholar up to January 31, 2018.

Our study describes the state of the art, scientific publications, and ongoing research related to the methods of analysis of respiratory sounds. When new “Web 2.0” technologies are used in health care, the terms “Health 2.0' or 'Medicine 2.0” may be used. In fact, during the last decade, the Internet has become increasingly popular and is now an important part of our daily life. Innovative technologies that could project the stethoscope and auscultation approaches into the era of evidence-based medicine and the world of medicine 2.0 have emerged. Electronic auscultation and the automated classification of recorded lung sounds may help overcome some of these shortcomings. There is limited information on what the standardized use of a stethoscope for chest auscultation should be, due to the inherent inter-listener variability. During the last decade, considerable progress has been made to improve the stethoscope ( Fig. Bowles and Sprague developed the combined bell and diaphragm design in 1925, then shortly following World War II, Sprague, Rappaport, and Groom experimented with the design before finding the optimal combination of the classic double-tube Rappaport-Sprague stethoscope. Before the turn of the century, this device looked much the same as it does today, with a binaural design, flexible tubing, and a rigid diaphragm. Since the 1800s, the stethoscope has become increasingly popular, having been adopted as the physician's primary medical tool. 1c: The latest generation of stethoscopes is electronic and uses a microphone system and speakers to restore sounds ( adapted from the chapter: Advances and Perspectives in the Field of Auscultation, with a Special Focus on the Contribution of New Intelligent Communicating Stethoscope Systems in Clinical Practice, in Teaching and Telemedicine. Traditionally, the sound is transmitted in an aerial way via a conduit. Using a specific interface (diaphragm or bell), a sound is picked up and then transmitted over a small distance to the user’s ears. 1b: The stethoscope is a system of transmission and amplification of sound by resonance. Not only did this enable him to listen to internal noises without being in direct contact with his patient, but it also provided a much stronger and clearer perception of the noises.ġa: Doctor René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laennec, inventor of the stethoscope. Doctor Laennec also built the first paper-based (a cone made out of 24 sheets of paper) and wood-based stethoscopes ( Fig. In 1817, Laennec created a new technique he labeled “ auscultation médiate”, meaning auscultation through a medium ( Traité de l’auscultation médiate, Paris, 1817) ( Fig. Up to the beginning of the 19 th century, doctors still examined their patients this way, pressing the ear to the thorax to listen to the noises within.

have been uncovered describing listening to sounds inside the body as a way to learn about illnesses. Papyrus records from the 17 th century B.C. Įvaluation of the sounds produced by the human body can be traced back as far as ancient Egypt. Respiratory sounds include all the invaluable information concerning the physiology and pathology of lung and airway obstruction. Distinguishing between normal respiratory (lung) sounds and abnormal ones (such as crackles and wheezes) is crucial for establishing an accurate medical diagnosis.

Adventitious breath sounds causes