Researchers from Imperial College London, in collaboration with the California-based company Eko Health, have developed an innovative stethoscope with artificial intelligence technology capable of identifying serious heart diseases in just 15 seconds. The device analyzes electrical signals and blood flow sounds, detecting even those pathologies that are not always recognized by the human ear.
This is reported by Business • Media
Effectiveness and Features of the Innovative Stethoscope
- The AI stethoscope detects heart failure, valve defects, and rhythm disturbances.
- A clinical study involving 12,000 patients confirmed that the device doubles the rate of early diagnosis.
- This development is the result of collaboration between Imperial College London and Eko Health.
The AI stethoscope is equipped with a rapid electrocardiography (ECG) feature and can identify signs of heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and valve defects. The analysis data is transmitted through a secure cloud environment directly to the physician’s smartphone, ensuring promptness and convenience for medical professionals.
Testing Results and Expert Evaluations
In a large-scale trial involving 12,000 patients from 200 clinics across the UK, it was found that those examined with the new stethoscope were diagnosed with heart failure twice as often, and atrial fibrillation three times more frequently than in the control group. The detection of heart valve pathologies also nearly doubled.
“The design of the stethoscope has remained unchanged for almost two centuries. The introduction of a ‘smart’ device could radically change the approach to diagnosing heart diseases.”
Dr. Patrick Bechtiger from the National Heart and Lung Institute emphasized the importance of this technology for the medical community. According to Dr. Mihir Kelshekar, most patients with heart failure arrive at hospitals in critical condition, so the new device will allow for risk identification much earlier, increasing the chances of timely treatment.
Researchers recommend using the AI stethoscope for examining patients with suspicious symptoms rather than during mass screenings of healthy individuals. Early detection of diseases enables quicker treatment initiation, reduces mortality rates, and optimizes healthcare system costs.
The initiative is supported by the British Heart Foundation and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Professor Mike Lewis noted that the device could be a true breakthrough in early diagnosis and provide doctors with tools that were previously unavailable in primary healthcare.