Hong Kong-developed mobile stethoscope app detects heart disease

A research team from the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong has developed an AI-powered mobile application that turns smartphones into a stethoscope to spot symptoms of heart diseases.

HOW IT WORKS

Called Vitogram, the app uses AI to analyse heart sounds, which are collected by placing the mobile phone on a user's chest. 

"Analysing heart sounds provides important health data comparable to that obtained by a doctor using a stethoscope," explained HKUMed associate professor Joshua Ho Wing-kei. 

Based on a clinical study at a public hospital in late 2023, the AI achieved an 81% accuracy in detecting valvular heart disease in approximately 363 study participants. Researchers now plan to expand their study to a larger, more diverse cohort and cover more heart disease symptoms. 

Meanwhile, Vitome, a spin-off company created to commercialise Vitogram, is preparing to launch their mobile stethoscope app overseas – particularly in Singapore and Malaysia – by partnerning with healthcare organisations.

WHY IT MATTERS

As of 2020, heart diseases rank third among common causes of death in Hong Kong.

During the pandemic, many cases were said to be missed as people were restricted from getting in-person checkups. This inspired initial research at HKUMed to turn mobile phones into stethoscopes, enabling communities to conveniently spot heart diseases early.

"This breakthrough technology has the potential to discover hidden valvular heart disease patients in the community, alerting them to seek early medical care," added Dr Wong Chun-ka, a cardiologist and a clinical assistant professor at HKUMed.

By enabling regular self-checks, the app is also expected to help people take more control of their heart health and further prevent the potential progression of their existing heart conditions. 

MARKET SNAPSHOT

A similar AI-enabled innovation in Singapore is a wearable stethoscope by Aevice Health. The device called AeviceMD detects and records chest sounds, which are screened for abnormalities related to respiratory diseases. Cleared in both Singapore and the United States, the smart stethoscope has been made available in Southeast Asia, enabled by Aevice Health's fund raise from East Ventures last year.