Stethoscopes powered by artificial intelligence (AI) could help detect three different heart conditions in seconds, researchers say.
The original stethoscope, invented in 1816, allows doctors to listen to the internal sounds of a patient's body.
But now a British team have designed one that can spot heart failure, heart valve disease and abnormal heart rhythms almost instantly.
The breakthrough AI-powered tool could be a "real game-changer" resulting in patients being treated sooner, the researchers say, with plans to roll the device out across the country.
The new device replaces the traditional chest piece with a device around the size of a playing card. It uses a microphone to analyse subtle differences in heartbeat and blood flow that the human ear cannot detect.
