HKU develops mobile app that turns smartphones into electronic stethoscopes

A research team of Hong Kong University's Faculty of Medicine said on Wednesday it has developed an app designed to turn smartphones into electronic stethoscopes for early detection of valvular heart disease.

The team said the app has an accuracy rate of about 80 percent in detecting valvular heart diseases, comparable to the level of a doctor using a stethoscope. 

The team also said it is currently planning the second phase of clinical research and anticipates launching the product in the market within six months.

The app “Vitogram®” uses AI to measure heart sounds from four parts of the chest, with each measurement taking approximately 10 seconds. The app will then complete an analysis of whether the user could suffer from heart disease.