Study of Amplifier Operating Point to Improve Phonocardiogram Signal Representation in a Custom-made Electronic Stethoscope

Abstract

The performance of a custom-made electronic stethoscope needs to be improved through a study on the operating point of the amplifier. The aim of this study is to analyse the composition and content of the frequency components contained in the phonocardiogram signal by spectral extraction. The output is a voltage signal that represents the heart rate. The operating point of the amplifier is varied. The signal is recorded on a laptop and analysed. The results show that the operating point produces a balanced swing signal. Hence, the amplifier’s operating point does not affect the component spectrum in the recorded signal.