Research progress in digital auscultation: equipment and systems, characteristic parameters, and their application in diagnosis of pulmonary diseases and syndromes

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) auscultation has a long history, and with advancements in equipment and analytical methods, the quantitative analysis of auscultation parameters has determined. However, the complexity and diversity of auscultation, along with variations in devices, analytical methods, and applications, bring challenges to its standardization and deeper application. This review presents the advancements in auscultation equipment and systems, auscultation characteristic parameters, and their application in the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases and syndromes over the past 10 years, while also exploring the progress and challenges of current digital research of auscultation. This review also proposes the establishment of standardized protocols for the collection and analysis of auscultation data, the incorporation of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) auscultation analysis methods, and an exploration of the diagnostic utility of auscultatory features in pulmonary diseases and syndromes, so as to provide more precise decision support for intelligent diagnosis of pulmonary diseases and syndromes