Doctors at the Royal College of London have developed a smart medical stethoscope equipped with artificial intelligence, capable of detecting three major heart diseases in just 15 seconds.

The stethoscope records electrocardiogram (ECG) and heart sounds, then immediately sends the data to the cloud, delivering the diagnosis directly to the doctor’s phone.

Since its invention in 1816, the stethoscope has been an essential tool for diagnosing diseases. Today, the smart version allows near-instant diagnosis of heart failure, heart valve defects, and arrhythmias. The innovation showed high effectiveness during clinical trials involving about 12,000 patients and 200 internists in the United Kingdom, focusing on patients suffering from shortness of breath or fatigue.

Results showed that “the smart stethoscope doubles the likelihood of detecting heart failure cases compared to traditional methods, triples the chance of diagnosing atrial fibrillation, and nearly doubles the diagnosis rate of heart valve diseases.”

Experts believe these results give doctors the opportunity to start treatment early before conditions become life-threatening.

Dr. Patrick Bachtger from the Royal College of London said, “The design of the medical stethoscope has not changed for 200 years, and it is amazing that the new smart version allows a 15-second examination, after which artificial intelligence quickly provides the result to determine if the patient suffers from heart failure, atrial fibrillation, or valve disease.”

Despite the device’s accuracy, researchers warn of possible false positive results sometimes, emphasizing the necessity to use it only with patients showing potential cardiac symptoms.