New Progress in Clinical Cardiology - Quantitative Scores for Heart Murmurs

Biosignetics scientists pioneered new quantitative scores to characterize heart murmurs and also innocent (Still's) murmurs in children. These scores are now implemented in the PC software that is available for educational and non-clinical research use.

(PRWEB) September 22, 2005 -- Biosignetics scientists pioneered new quantitative scores to characterize heart murmurs and also innocent (Still's) murmurs in children. These scores can give heart auscultation much needed boost. Old system dates back to 1933 and is based on work of esteemed Harvard cardiologist Dr. Sam Levine. Murmurs are assigned empirical grades between 1 and 6. Empirical system is largely perception based and does not provide a good grade resolution to effectively differentiate normal from abnormal.

According to Dr. Vladimir Kudriavtsev, system co-inventor, New system is free of empiricism. Computer chip processes heart sounds digitally and estimates murmur intensity and frequency (pitch) scores". These scores will be instrumental in future heart diagnosis. We hope to publish these results in the archival medical journal soon", he added.

This invention, is now implemented in the flagship software package from Biosignetics - Phonocardiograph Monitor. Current release (Version 3)

http://www.bsignetics.com/prod02.htm

is intended for medical, nursing and veterinarian students and researchers, for professors of clinical science and as an aid in teaching heart auscultation and physical exam.
It is heralded as a major breakthrough and aid in the heart auscultation.

Physician can record heart sound using several widely available clinical electronic recording stethoscopes and then process the sound using Phonocardiograph Monitor software. Phonocardiograph allows to document visual image of the sound signal and allows to also selectively estimating murmur pitch or frequency, timing and intensity using a novel set of scores. Heart sounds are usually faint, so software can amplify it and play it aloud. This forms a direct connection between the digital scores and audio perception that is used in current clinical practice of teaching and performing cardiac auscultation.

Biosignetics continues its research in this very promising area and is actively looking for clinical and institutional partners to move this technology further.

"Current software work is focused on the GMP system implementation and we hope to release clinical version of the software in December 2005", indicated Dr. Vladimir Polyshchuk, Company President.

Biosignetics is a New Hampshire start-up company, semi-finalist of the federal Advanced Technology Program, winner of the New Hampshire Business Plan competition in the category Biomedical/Biotech. Additional articles about Biosignetics and its patent pending Heart Energy Signature Method can be found in MassHighTech, Dow Jones Venturewire, and Movers and Shakers.

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