Carotid collar : a device for auscultory detection of carotid artery stenosis

Abstract

The carotid collar is a hardware device designed to aid in detecting carotid artery stenosis, a disease that increases the risk of stroke. This device consists of three electronic stethoscopes that record heart and carotid artery sounds and an electrocardiograph. A software application, ccrec, was written to make the device easy to use by displaying real-time waveforms and storing the recorded signals in files for later analysis. The results of some preliminary tests of the device's ability to make accurate recordings, including the performance of the software and a test of the frequency response of the stethoscope sensors, are presented. The results suggest that this inexpensive device has considerable promise for rapid screening for carotid artery stenosis.