Hello everyone 👋
I’m currently working on a project exploring whether heart sound can be used as a biometric parameter.
The human heart produces acoustic signals known as Phonocardiograms (PCG). There are four primary heart sounds: S1, S2, S3, and S4.
The heart contains four valves (organized into two functional sets).
- S1 and S2 are the well-known “lub-dub” sounds, produced by the closing of the atrioventricular and semilunar valves.
- S3 and S4 are subtler, often faint sounds associated with rapid blood flow and ventricular filling dynamics.
Some research suggests that the temporal characteristics and subtle timing variations of these heart sounds may vary from person to person. If sufficiently distinctive and stable, they could potentially serve as a biometric signature.
Of course, heart rate and cardiac dynamics are highly variable — influenced by physical activity, emotional state, and medical conditions. That makes this a challenging signal to model.
My goal is to experimentally explore the feasibility of PCG as a biometric modality by collecting and analyzing real-world data.
Since this is an experimental project, I couldn’t afford a professional digital stethoscope. Instead, I built a rather janky DIY setup — but hopefully it provides sufficient signal clarity for our neural ✨ friends.
Let’s see where this leads.
Top comments (0)