New AI stethoscope detects three major heart problems in 15 seconds

10-Sep-2025

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A stethoscope that can “listen” smarter than the human ear is being called a medical game-changer.

Researchers in the UK say this updated version of the classic tool can detect three major heart problems - heart failure (muscle is not able to pump enough blood), atrial fibrillation (when heart beats too fast or too slow with irregular rhythm), and valvular heart disease (one or more valves of the heart fail to function properly) - in just 15 seconds.

Instead of the usual chest piece, it has a playing-card-sized device with a microphone and sensors. When placed on a patient’s chest, it records both the sounds of blood flow and the heart’s electrical signals (just like an ECG).

From there, the information is sent to the cloud, where powerful AI algorithms, trained on data from tens of thousands of patients, analyse it for hidden issues.

The results are then sent straight to a smartphone app, showing whether the patient may be at risk of heart problems.