AI-powered stethoscope spots key heart conditions in just 15 seconds

Researchers at Imperial College London and the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust unveiled an AI-enabled stethoscope that can flag heart failure, atrial fibrillation and valve disease in about 15 seconds. In a UK primary care study of roughly 12,000 patients across 200 practices, those examined with the device were twice as likely to be diagnosed with heart failure, three times more likely to be identified with atrial fibrillation and nearly twice as likely to be found with valve disease versus usual care. The handheld tool, made by California-based Eko Health, records heart sounds and a brief ECG, uploads data to the cloud and returns a risk result to a smartphone. Findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual congress in Madrid. Backers include the British Heart Foundation and the National Institute for Health and Care Research. Researchers cautioned about higher false positives and said the device is intended for symptomatic patients, not routine screening, but argue earlier detection could save lives and reduce emergency admissions.

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