by Rinkle Dudhani
Dr. (Maj) Satish Somayya Jeevannavar’s medtech startup, Ai Health Highway India, is revolutionizing healthcare with its groundbreaking innovation, the AiSteth. This digital stethoscope, designed to bridge the gap in rural healthcare, has taken a giant leap towards affordable and accessible medical assistance.
The AiSteth enables professionals across cities to interpret vital data remotely by recording and analyzing patient heart sounds. Ai Health Highway’s mission to combat Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) aligns perfectly with AiSteth’s capabilities.
With a focus on early detection and prediction of heart and lung disorders, this AI-first company aims to significantly reduce the disheartening number of premature deaths attributed to NCDs by 2025. The AiSteth embodies innovation with purpose, paving the way for a healthier and more connected future in healthcare.
What Is AiSteth?
AiSteth is a smart stethoscope that converts sound into visual data through a mobile app. This technology allows doctors to accurately assess heart sounds, aiding in the screening, detection, and prediction of cardiovascular disorders. It integrates advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for enhanced diagnostic capabilities, making it a valuable tool in modern healthcare.
How does AiSteth work?
AiSteth operates through three key components:
- Device
- Data
- Intelligence
Traditionally, healthcare workers rely on acoustic output from a stethoscope to assess a patient’s health, but this method can be subjective. With AiSteth, the device’s hardware converts the acoustic output into a visual sign pattern, which is then transmitted via Bluetooth to a smartphone app.
This visual representation allows doctors to objectively evaluate heart and lung sounds, similar to reading an ECG report, regardless of their location. This innovative approach facilitates effortless connection between patients and specialists.
AiSteth has been successfully deployed in numerous medical institutions, including medical colleges, hospitals, and primary healthcare clinics. Early results from pilot projects have been promising, revealing valuable insights into the effectiveness of this innovation.
What Are The Features Of AiSteth?
The AiSteth smart stethoscope and accompanying app are equipped with a range of features designed to enable doctors to perform auscultation with precision and ease. Some of the prominent features are as follows:
1. Visualization
AiSteth enables users to “see the sound” through both spectrogram and waveform/line visualizations on a smartphone, enhancing the accuracy of auscultation.
2. Digital Recording, Storage & Sharing
The app allows for easy recording, storing, and sharing of audio and visual data, facilitating tele-consultations, remote diagnosis, and second opinions from specialists.
3. Intelligence with AI/ML
Leveraging advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, AiSteth aids in detecting and identifying anomalies in heart and lung sounds using state-of-the-art signal processing and machine learning models.
4. Dual Mode Functionality
AiSteth can function as both a traditional and digital stethoscope when connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth, providing users with a smooth transition to digital and visual auscultation.
5. API Integration for Patient and Clinic Management
The Android app offers easy integration of patient and clinic data, securely storing it in the cloud for convenient access and management.
6. Bluetooth Connectivity
AiSteth ensures uninterrupted connectivity to smartphones during auscultation, eliminating interference with other devices and network-related issues. The app also syncs recordings and patient data online via Wi-Fi or mobile data for safe storage.
Some Benefits of AiSteth
This smart stethoscope can offer some major benefits like:
1. Enhanced Auscultation Accuracy
AiSteth enables users to listen to heart, lung, and abdomen sounds more clearly by cutting through ambient noises. Additionally, real-time visual augmentation increases accuracy during auscultation.
2. Effortless Sharing and Second Opinions
Users can effortlessly share their audio-visual data with specialists directly from their smartphones, facilitating prompt diagnosis and obtaining second opinions.
3. Reduced Learning Curve
With visual aids and AI/ML augmentations, AiSteth significantly reduces the time required for students to learn to identify abnormal heart sounds and murmurs. This makes it an excellent teaching and learning tool in medical education.
The Future of Smart Stethoscopes
The future of Smart Stethoscopes appears promising, with significant growth anticipated in the market. With a projected expansion at a CAGR of 11.64% during the forecast period, the market size is expected to reach USD 323.91 million by 2028, up from USD 167.31 million in 2022.
Furthermore, the potential applications of smart stethoscopes are expected to evolve beyond their current capabilities. In addition to detecting heart conditions related to electrical activity, such as atrial fibrillation, smart stethoscopes could also be utilized to diagnose conditions based on heart sounds, including those related to heart valves. This advancement represents a significant leap forward in cardiovascular healthcare, offering capabilities beyond what traditional ECGs can provide.
