An AI-enabled stethoscope has been shown to help doctors identify three heart conditions – heart failure, atrial fibrillation and heart valve disease – in just 15 seconds. The results were presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Madrid.
The device, developed with researchers at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, can pick up subtle differences in heartbeat and blood flow that are impossible to detect with a traditional stethoscope.
It also records an ECG at the same time.
Large trial in GP surgeries
More than 12,700 patients from 96 GP surgeries in North West London were examined with the AI stethoscope and compared with patients from 109 practices without access to the device. Patients with symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue or swollen legs were tested.
Findings showed that those examined with the AI device were:
- 2.3 times more likely to be diagnosed with heart failure
- 3.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with atrial fibrillation
- 1.9 times more likely to be diagnosed with heart valve disease
Early diagnosis is key for these conditions, as patients can access medicines that prevent deterioration and reduce emergency hospital admissions.
How it works
About the size of a playing card, the device is placed on the chest to record heart sounds and electrical signals. The data is uploaded securely and analysed by AI algorithms trained on thousands of patient records. Results are sent back to a doctor’s smartphone within seconds.
Professor Nicholas Peters, senior investigator from Imperial College London and consultant cardiologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “Our study shows that three heart conditions can now be identified in one sitting.
“Importantly, this technology is already available to some patients and being widely used in GP surgeries.”
Challenges and next steps
While the technology is already available in some UK practices, 70% of GP surgeries in the study stopped using it regularly after a year. Researchers say better integration into daily routines is needed for wider adoption.
The TRICORDER study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, NIHR and Imperial Health Charity, is now expanding to practices in Wales, South London and Sussex. The stethoscopes used in the trial were produced by US-based Eko Health.
02.09.2025.
