AI Stethoscope Detects Three Heart Conditions in 15 Seconds: Revolutionizing Cardiac Care
A groundbreaking AI-powered stethoscope, developed by researchers at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, can detect three serious heart conditions—heart failure, heart valve disease, and atrial fibrillation—in just 15 seconds. This innovative device, manufactured by California-based Eko Health, modernizes the traditional stethoscope, a medical tool unchanged since 1816, by integrating artificial intelligence to analyze subtle heartbeat and blood flow variations imperceptible to the human ear. Unveiled at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual congress in Madrid in August 2025, this technology promises to transform early diagnosis, enabling faster treatment and potentially saving lives by identifying conditions before they become critical.
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Announced on August 30, 2025, the AI stethoscope’s capabilities were demonstrated in a large-scale trial across 205 UK GP surgeries involving 12,725 patients with symptoms like breathlessness or fatigue. The device, roughly the size of a playing card, records heart sounds and performs a simultaneous electrocardiogram (ECG), transmitting data to cloud-based AI algorithms for analysis. Results showed patients tested with the device were 2.3 times more likely to be diagnosed with heart failure, 3.45 times more likely to detect atrial fibrillation, and 1.92 times more likely to identify heart valve disease compared to standard methods.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded the study, which was published in BMJ Open. Despite its promise, 70% of GP surgeries stopped or infrequently used the device after 12 months, citing integration challenges, and two-thirds of suspected heart failure cases were false positives, necessitating further tests like BNP blood tests or heart scans.
Key highlights:
- Detects heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and heart valve disease in 15 seconds with 90% accuracy for heart failure.
- Trial involved 1.5 million registered patients, focusing on symptomatic individuals.
- False positives are a concern, limiting use to symptomatic patients, not mass screening.
Key Details of the AI Stethoscope Technology
The following table outlines the critical aspects of the AI stethoscope and its trial results.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Developer | Imperial College London, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust |
| Manufacturer | Eko Health (California, USA) |
| Conditions Detected | Heart failure, atrial fibrillation, heart valve disease (e.g., aortic stenosis, mitral regurgitation) |
| Technology | AI algorithms analyze heart sounds and ECG; cloud-based processing |
| Device Size | Playing card-sized, with microphone and ECG electrodes infinite loop detected; please try again later. |
