A United States federal agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has just approved a new digital device called the Eko Core, which connects to a standard analog stethoscope. It magnifies and records sound signals that the instrument picks up, and then sends the data to an iPhone smartphone's app.
After the waveform has been recorded, physicians can listen to it at a later time. Another option is to compare the reading to ones captured during future doctor visits.
The Eko's manufacturer has also launched clinical trials for an algorithm to compare patients' heartbeats with recorded ones, according to Engadget. It would be categorized as either normal or abnormal.
This could help doctors in diagnosing heart conditions and diseases. Eko Devices, the digital stethoscope's developer, is awaiting FDA approval for the algorithm.
Eko Devices is teaming up with San Francisco General Hospital to conduct a 200-patient, 6-month study to test its medical product, according to Mobile Health News. It will collect a large set of recorded heart sounds that cardiologists have analyzed.
The company will compare the heart specialists' accuracy with its algorithm. Eko Device's goal is that its software will eventually be as precise as a cardiologist.
Dr. John Chorba is UC San Francisco's lead researcher. He told the New York Times that it is critical to learn if the new device can detect pathological (illness-related) heart sounds.
However, the Eko Core is still effective minus the algorithm. That is especially true for family physicians who lack the expertise of a cardiologist.
Eko Core is on sale in the U.S. for $199. The price tag is $299 when bundled with a analog stethoscope.
The stethoscope was invented two centuries ago by a French doctor. He was embarrassed about putting his ear adjacent to a woman's chest.