Invented in 1816, the traditional stethoscope – used to listen to sounds within the body – has been a vital part of every medic’s toolkit for more than two centuries.
Now a team have designed a hi-tech upgrade with AI capabilities that can diagnose heart failure, heart valve disease and abnormal heart rhythms almost instantly.
The new stethoscope developed by researchers at Imperial College London and Imperial College healthcare NHS trust can analyse tiny differences in heartbeat and blood flow undetectable to the human ear, and take a rapid ECG at the same time.
Early diagnosis is vital for heart failure, heart valve disease and abnormal heart rhythms, enabling those who need lifesaving medicines to be spotted sooner, before they become dangerously unwell.
A study trialling the AI stethoscope, involving about 12,000 patients from 200 GP surgeries in the UK, looked at those with symptoms such as breathlessness or fatigue.
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