AI stethoscope detects three heart conditions in 15 seconds

An AI-enabled stethoscope has allowed doctors to pick up heart conditions in 15 seconds, giving GPs a simple tool to spot problems earlier. A study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and led by researchers at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, found that patients examined with the Eko device were twice as likely to be diagnosed with heart failure. They were also three and a half times more likely to be diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm which can increase the risk of having a stroke, and almost twice as likely to receive a diagnosis of heart valve disease. Professor Mike Lewis, scientific director for innovation at NIHR, said: “This tool could be a real game-changer for patients, bringing innovation directly into the hands of GPs. “The AI stethoscope gives local clinicians the ability to spot problems earlier, diagnose patients in the community, and address some of the big killers in society.” The device, which is the size of a playing card, is placed on a patient’s chest to take an ECG recording of the electrical signals from their heart. A microphone records the sound of blood flowing through the heart and this information is analysed by AI algorithms which been trained on health data from tens of thousands of people and can detect subtle heart problems a human would miss. A test result, indicating whether the patient has been flagged as at-risk for heart failure or not, is sent back to a smartphone. Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation and consultant cardiologist, said: “This is an elegant example of how the humble stethoscope, invented more than 200 years ago, can be upgraded for the 21st century. “We need innovations like these, providing early detection of heart failure, because so often this condition is only diagnosed at an advanced stage when patients attend hospital as an emergency. “Given an earlier diagnosis, people can access the treatment they need to help them live well for longer.” The stethoscope was trialled with 12,725 patients who showed symptoms of heart failure – breathlessness, fatigue or swelling of the lower legs and/or feet, across more than 200 GP surgeries in north west London. These patients were compared to patients where AI stethoscopes were not used. However 70% of GP surgeries given the smart stethoscopes in the study stopped using them, or used them infrequently, after 12 months, suggesting that efforts to integrate the technology into GPs’ existing routines would be needed to roll it out more widely. Also, two-thirds of people identified by the AI stethoscope as having suspected heart failure did not have it when given a further blood test or heart scan, which could lead to unnecessary anxiety and tests for some people. Researchers said that the technology should only be used for patients with symptoms of suspected heart problems, and not for routine checks. The AI stethoscope is now planned to be rolled out to GP practices in Wales, South London and Sussex.