AI stethoscope could detect heart conditions in seconds

Stethoscopes fueled by artificial intelligence (AI) could help detect three different heart conditions in a few seconds, according to the researchers.

The original stethoscope, invented in 1816, allows doctors to listen to the internal sounds of a patient’s body.

But now, a British team has designed one that can identify heart failure, heart valve disease and almost instantly abnormal heart rhythms.

The tool could be a “real game changer”, which leads to patients treated earlier, according to the researchers-with plans to deploy the apparatus through the United Kingdom following a study involving 205 GP surgeries in the west and northwest of London.

The new device replaces the traditional chest with a device around the size of a game card. It uses a microphone to analyze the subtle differences in heart rate and blood flow that the human ear cannot detect.

An ECG (electrocardiogram) is required, recording electrical signals from the heart and sends information to the cloud to be analyzed by AI formed on tens of thousands of patients.

The study of the Imperial College London and the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust involved saw more than 12,000 patients of 96 surgeries examined with the AI ​​stethoscope. They were then compared to patients with 109 GP surgeries where technology was not used.

Those examined with the device were 2.33 times more likely to be diagnosed with heart failure in the next 12 months, researchers said.

The models of abnormal heart rhythms, which have no symptoms but can increase the risk of stroke, were 3.5 times more detectable with AI stethoscopes, while the heart valve disease was 1.9 times more detectable.

Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, Clinical Director of British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Consultant cardiologist, said: “This is an elegant example of how the humble stethoscope, invented over 200 years ago, can be improved for the 21st century”.

Such innovations are essential “because so often, this condition is only diagnosed with an advanced stage when patients attend the hospital in an emergency,” she said.

“Given an earlier diagnosis, people can access the treatment they need to help them live well longer.”

The results were presented to thousands of doctors from the annual congress of the European Cardiology Society in Madrid, the largest conference in the heart of the world.

It is planned to introduce new stethoscopes to GP practices in southern London, Sussex and Wales.