AI stethoscope could detect heart conditions in seconds

Stethoscopes powered by artificial intelligence could help medics detect three different heart conditions in seconds, according to researchers.

- STORM NEWTON

The technology can analyse subtle differences in heartbeats and blood flow that human ears cannot pick up, all while performing a rapid test to record the electrical activity in the heart at the same time.

Experts suggest this use of AI could be a “real game-changer”, enabling earlier treatment for patients with heart failure, heart valve disease and abnormal heart rhythms, also known as atrial fibrillation.

The stethoscope, invented in 1816, allows doctors to listen to the internal sounds of a patient’s body. Its chest piece — the part of the tool which is placed on the body - includes a “bell”, a small cup-shaped device used to hear low-frequency sounds from the heart.

The new AI stethoscope has been “upgraded for the 21st century” and replaces this chest piece with a device around the size of a playing card. This is placed on a patient’s chest to take an ECG (electrocardiogram) - which records electrical signals from the heart — with a microphone recording the sound of blood flowing through the heart.

This information is then sent to the cloud and analysed by AI trained on data from tens of thousands of people. A test result flagging if a patient is at risk of heart failure or not is then sent to a smartphone. Another algorithm can detect atrial fibrillation, which often has no symptoms but can increase the risk of strokes.