A comparison of the short-time Fourier Transform with a Discrete Wavelet Transform for analysing some heart sounds

The application of normal spectral analysis techniques to heart sounds does not provide information about the temporal variation of the spectral components of the signal. This study investigates two different methods for analysing those non-stationary signals using both normal and abnormal heart sounds. Thus the Short-Time Fourier Transform and the Discrete Wavelet Transform were compared having briefly outlined their characteristics. It was concluded that both provided useful information and each could easily identify the abnormal sound. The significance of some of the information could not be established without further reference to the detailed functioning of the heart as provided, for example, by an echo-cardiogram.