Algorithm for detecting the first and the second heart sounds by spectral tracking

Abstract

A detection algorithm for the first and the second heart sounds, which is one of the most important problems in an automatic diagnostic system for phonocardiograms, has been developed. It is based on the frequency-domain characteristics of heart sounds analysed by a linear-prediction method. The performance of the algorithm has been evaluated in 187 samples that contain 881 cardiac cycles including normal and abnormal subjects. The algorithm uses low frequency spectral tracking for the time series of the phonocardiogram. It can track spectral level smoothly so that it is fairly effective for the detection of heart sounds. This tracking procedure can be used in other applications such as electroencephalogram processing. © 1980 IFMBE.