Classification of Cardiac Tones of Mechanical and Native Mitral Valves

Mechanical heart valve dysfunction can develop in as little as a few weeks, often causing a heart attack or serious complications. Investigating the altered acoustic characteristics of the cardiac tones in a mechanical valve may allow the early identification of valve malfunction. Nowadays, it is essential to equip a transplanted patient with innovative tools capable of monitoring his state of health at home and, in this case, the state of operation of the mechanical valves of his heart. This study is a step towards the early identification of valve malfunction. Here, basic acoustic features will be identified and tested, showing their effectiveness in discriminating the sound of a native mitral valve from a mechanical one. This study differs significantly from other studies since it is based on the new digital stethoscope eKuore-PRO®. The experimental results are interesting. The sensitivity is 100%, the accuracy is 95%, and the specificity is 93.3%, indicating that these features can discriminate the two types of valves effectively, and above all, that it is worth investigating whether they can timely and effectively predict mechanical valve malfunction.