AI stethoscope diagnoses heart disease in 15 seconds

Dubai: A revolutionary AI-powered stethoscope that can detect three deadly heart conditions in just 15 seconds has been developed by researchers at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, The Guardian reported.

The breakthrough could transform cardiac care by enabling faster, more accurate diagnoses and life-saving early treatment.

For more than two centuries, the stethoscope has been the most trusted tool in a doctor’s kit. Now, with the integration of artificial intelligence, it is being reimagined for the 21st century.

The device does more than amplify heart sounds — it uses AI to analyse subtle variations in heartbeat and blood flow, while simultaneously performing an electrocardiogram (ECG), giving doctors a comprehensive, instant assessment.

The technology’s potential was showcased at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual congress in Madrid, where researchers revealed results from a major trial. Involving nearly 12,725 patients across 200 UK clinics, the AI stethoscope consistently outperformed traditional diagnostic methods. Patients assessed with the new device were:

• 2.3 times more likely to be diagnosed with heart failure,

• 3.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (an abnormal heart rhythm that raises stroke risk), and

• 1.9 times more likely to be diagnosed with heart valve disease.

“These findings could be a real game-changer,” said Professor Mike Lewis, scientific director for innovation at the National Institute for Health and Care Research, which supported the study.

“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 itself is remarkably simple: a playing card-sized monitor placed on the patient’s chest records both an ECG and the sound of blood flow. These data are then uploaded to the cloud, where AI trained on tens of thousands of patient records provides an instant diagnosis.

According to The Independent, Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and consultant cardiologist, called the invention “an elegant example of how the humble stethoscope, invented more than 200 years ago, can be upgraded for the 21st century.”

She added: “We need innovations like these, because so often heart failure 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.”

Researchers now hope to roll out the pilot in south London, Sussex, and Wales, potentially changing how primary care doctors across the UK detect and treat heart disease.

With heart failure, valve disease, and abnormal heart rhythms ranking among the world’s leading causes of death, experts say the AI stethoscope could soon move from a lab innovation to a frontline lifesaver.