London, United Kingdom (Enmaeya News) — Researchers in London have unveiled an AI-powered stethoscope that can identify heart conditions in just 15 seconds, according to The Guardian.

The innovative device can detect heart failure, valve disorders, and rhythm irregularities, while also performing an instant electrocardiogram (ECG) without additional equipment.

Developed by Imperial College London and the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, the stethoscope was presented to thousands of doctors at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual conference in Madrid, the world’s largest cardiology event.

The AI stethoscope analyses subtle variations in heartbeat and blood flow that are undetectable to the human ear, while simultaneously recording an ECG.

In a study involving 12,000 patients and supervised by 200 UK doctors and surgeons, the device was used to screen for heart disease. While most patients initially reported fatigue or general weakness, a significant number were diagnosed with heart failure compared to those who were not examined with the AI stethoscope.

Dr. Patrick Pashtger from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London said, “It’s remarkable that a smart stethoscope can detect heart disease so quickly, in just 15 seconds.”

The device includes a card-like unit placed on the patient’s chest with an ECG sensor and a microphone to capture blood flow sounds. The data is sent to cloud servers where AI analyses it to identify heart problems that might be missed by human doctors.

Some experts caution that misdiagnoses are possible and emphasize that these stethoscopes should be used on patients suspected of heart issues, with final confirmation from cardiologists.