Advancements in Body Sound Diagnostics: Exploring Acoustic Signals for Medical Applications and Future Research Directions

Research on acoustic signals generated by the human body remains limited but holds significant potential for advancing medical diagnostics. This review comprehensively explores various body sounds, including cardiovascular sounds, bowel sounds, brain sounds, musculoskeletal sounds, respiratory and lung sounds, and swallowing sounds. For each category, the review examines the origin, frequency range, acquisition techniques, transducers, and signal processing methods. Special emphasis is placed on the diagnostic applications of these sounds, highlighting their clinical relevance. Recent advancements in medical technology, particularly digital auscultation and machine learning algorithms, are revolutionizing the analysis of body sounds, offering new tools for accurate and efficient diagnostics. This review provides a thorough overview of current research on body sound acquisition and processing methods, underscores their significance in medical practice, and identifies existing knowledge gaps and future research opportunities.