Abstract: An electronic stethoscope having a vibration transducer, an amplifier, a headphone arrangement, and at least one digital filter for establishing at least one impulse transfer function corresponding to at least one acoustic stethoscope type. Thus, the signals heard will correspond to those learned, and thereby the advantages of greater amplification and elimination of noise sources may be fully utilized. The ability to compensate for an individual doctor's hearing loss is enabled. Furthermore, with stereoscopic embodiments, sound frequency distributions can be transformed to spatial or temporal sound distributions perceivable by the user facilitating, for example, the detection of heart murmurs and the taking of blood pressure.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of a stethoscope as one part of an interface unit for biological signals. An electroacoustic driver is provided with a signal from e.g. a sound card in a personal computer, and special leak-free coupling means are provided to enable a faithful transmission of the biological signal from e.g. the digital domain in a computer to the ears of a physician used to auscultation—or training to become proficient. The communication of and about physiological signals is remarkably improved with respect to traditional systems.