Dangerous heart conditions detected in seconds with AI stethoscope

The first artificial intelligence (AI) stethoscope has gone beyond listening to a heartbeat.

Researchers at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust discovered that an AI stethoscope can detect heart failure at an early stage.

The TRICORDER study results, published in BMJ Journals, found that the AI-enabled stethoscope can help doctors identify three heart conditions in just 15 seconds.

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According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which partially funded the study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 1.5 million patients, focusing on people with heart failure symptoms like breathlessness, swelling and fatigue.

A total of 12,725 patients were examined with the new AI stethoscope technology. The patients were found to be twice as likely to be diagnosed with heart failure compared to similar patients not examined with the tool.

A practitioner uses an AI stethoscope on a patient at Imperial College London. (Imperial College London)

Patients examined with the stethoscope were also about 3.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythm), which increases the risk of stroke.

AI stethoscope patients were also twice as likely to receive a heart valve disease diagnosis, where one or more valves work improperly.

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All three of these conditions require early diagnosis to receive potentially life-saving treatment, according to the BHF press release.

Dr Patrik Bächtiger, a clinical lecturer at Imperial College London, noted in a statement that the design of the stethoscope, which was developed in 1816, has not changed in 200 years.

The first stethoscope, developed in 1816, has not been updated in 200 years. (iStock)

"It is incredible that a smart stethoscope can be used for a 15-second examination, and then AI can quickly deliver a test result indicating whether someone has heart failure, atrial fibrillation or heart valve disease," he wrote.

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation and consultant cardiologist, also commented in a statement that these heart conditions are often diagnosed at advanced stages when patients arrive at the hospital for emergency care.

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

"Given an earlier diagnosis, people can access the treatment they need to help them live well for longer," she said.

Nearly 6.7 million people are living with heart failure in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Heart failure can cause symptoms like shortness of breath, weight gain, fatigue, weakness and swelling in the feet, legs, ankles or stomach.

The risk for heart failure can be brought on by conditions like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease-related conditions, the above source states.

Heart failure can cause symptoms like shortness of breath, weight gain, fatigue, weakness and swelling in the feet, legs, ankles or stomach. (iStock)

How the device works

The AI stethoscope, which is only about the size of a playing card, takes an ECG recording of the electrical signals from the patient's heart. The microphone on the tool also records the sound of blood flowing through the heart.

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The recorded information is analyzed by AI algorithms that have been trained on health data from tens of thousands of people. The tool then generates a test result for heart failure risk.

A separate algorithm can detect atrial fibrillation, which often shows no symptoms.

The Eko DUO stethoscope, developed by Eko Health in California, uses AI to detect heart complications in seconds. (Eko Health)

Risks and limitations

Researchers suggest that there needs to be more integration of the technology into general practice, as 70% of practitioners with smart stethoscopes stopped using them after 12 months.

The study also found that two-thirds of people who were suspected to have heart failure were found to not have the condition after a further blood test or heart scan.

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"That could lead to unnecessary anxiety and tests for some people," BHF wrote in the release. "The researchers stress that the AI stethoscope should be used for patients with symptoms of suspected heart problems, and not for routine checks in healthy people."

In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Jeremy London commented on the emergence of AI in medicine.

Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Jeremy London warns that physicians should approach AI with careful consideration, although long-term use will be "more beneficial than detrimental." (iStock)

"Deciding which protocol is the science of medicine; whether or not that protocol is actually appropriate for that patient is the art of medicine," said the Georgia-based doctor. 

"And with AI, there isn't a human quality to that at this point, so figuring out how to interface those two is a real challenge."

"The AI stethoscope should be used for patients with symptoms of suspected heart problems, and not for routine checks in healthy people."

London emphasized the need to use AI as "a framework, not as an absolute, because it can be wrong."

"Particularly when we're taking care of people … we must make certain that we are doing it properly."

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The doctor said he believes that in the long term, AI will be "more beneficial than detrimental" in medicine.

The TRICORDER study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), British Heart Foundation and Imperial Health Charity, and was presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual congress in Madrid.