Jakarta, INTI – The high number of undetected heart disease cases highlights the urgent need for faster and more accurate medical examinations. Addressing this challenge, a group of researchers at Imperial College London, UK, in early September 2025 introduced an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered stethoscope capable of diagnosing serious heart conditions in just 15 seconds.
Similar to a Regular Stethoscope, Equipped with Advanced Sensors
At first glance, the device looks like a conventional stethoscope. However, its chest piece is shaped like a small square box, resembling a mini power bank, and is equipped with an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor and a phonocardiogram (PCG) microphone. When placed on a patient’s chest, both sensors work simultaneously to record heart activity and blood flow vibrations.
The collected data is then transmitted via Bluetooth to a smartphone, processed in the cloud with a specific algorithm, and within seconds the diagnosis results appear on the doctor’s screen.
Detects Three Major Heart Conditions
The AI stethoscope is designed to detect three serious heart conditions: heart failure (HF), atrial fibrillation (AF), and valvular heart disease (VHD). The entire process from placing the stethoscope to receiving results takes only around 15 seconds.
Early studies show the device improves accuracy by up to 3.5 times in detecting atrial fibrillation and doubles the speed of identifying valvular heart disease compared to conventional stethoscopes.
Nationwide Clinical Trial with Millions of Patients
This innovation has been tested in a nationwide study called Tricorder, led by Imperial College London in collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. More than 200 general practitioner (GP) clinics across the UK participated, covering around 1.5 million patients who reported symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath.
According to the British Heart Foundation, which co-funded the project, the device is not only more effective but also safe to use, as it has been classified as a Class IIa medical device a low-to-medium risk category commonly used by healthcare professionals in daily practice.
Time and Cost Efficiency
Although limited to diagnosing heart-related conditions, researchers believe the AI stethoscope can significantly improve healthcare efficiency. With quick and accurate results, patients no longer need to undergo multiple costly tests. A single examination is enough for doctors to take the next medical steps, with results available in just 15 seconds.
Conclusion
The introduction of this AI-powered stethoscope marks an important milestone in the medical field, particularly in accelerating the detection of heart disease, which often goes unnoticed until it becomes severe. With advanced sensors, AI, and cloud-based data processing, the device opens new opportunities for faster, more efficient, and more affordable healthcare services.
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