The stethoscope, invented in 1816, is a vital part of a doctor’s toolkit, used to listen to sounds within the body. But an AI stethoscope can do much more, including analyzing tiny differences in heartbeat and blood flow which are undetectable to the human ear, and taking a rapid ECG at the same time.

Researchers at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust now have evidence that an AI stethoscope can increase detection of heart failure at the early stage when someone goes to their GP with symptoms.

A study involving more than 200 GP surgeries, with more than 1.5 million patients, looked at people with symptoms such as breathlessness or fatigue.