AI Stethoscope Doubles Heart Failure, Triples AF Detection in 15-Second Exam
Researchers at Imperial College London and partners unveiled an AI stethoscope (made by Eko Health) that in 15 seconds can detect heart failure, valve disease and atrial fibrillation. In a trial of ~12,000 patients across 200 GP surgeries, diagnoses doubled for heart failure, trebled for AF and nearly doubled for valve disease. Data and ECGs are sent to the cloud for AI analysis; higher false positives mean it should be used for symptomatic patients, not routine screening.