The humble stethoscope gets an AI upgrade after 200 years

The humble stethoscope, one of the most commonly used medical devices around, has just received a massive tech upgrade. Doctors from Imperial College London have developed an AI-powered stethoscope that can spot three major heart conditions in just 15 seconds.

Hears what doctors cannot

As reported by The Guardian, this new device, designed by researchers and built by California’s Eko Health, uses artificial intelligence to diagnose heart failure, heart valve disease, and abnormal heart rhythms almost instantly.

The souped-up stethoscope is about the size of a playing card, though it still gets those traditional ear pieces and ear tubes. Using it is simple. The doctor places the device on a patient’s chest where it takes a quick electrocardiogram (ECG) to read the heart’s electrical signals. At the same time, its advanced microphone records the sound of blood flow, specifically, picking up on tiny variations that are completely inaudible to the human ear.

All this data is then beamed to the cloud. Powerful AI algorithms analyse it for subtle signs of trouble and send a result straight back to a smartphone, flagging patients who might be at risk.

The best part is that this isn’t just a cool concept. A huge UK trial involving 12,000 patients has put the device through its paces with very positive results. Patients with symptoms who were examined with the AI tool were twice as likely to be diagnosed with heart failure. They were also three times more likely to have atrial fibrillation detected, a condition that can raise stroke risk.

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The technology was also unveiled to thousands of cardiologists at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual conference in Madrid.

That said, the tool does come with a couple of caveats. There is a higher risk of false positives, meaning it might flag a condition that is not actually there. Researchers stress the AI stethoscope is meant for patients already showing symptoms of heart issues and not for routine screening of healthy people.