A team of experts in Florida recently developed a portable device called HeartBuds which could be plugged into smartphones and may soon replace traditional stethoscopes for thorough check-ups.
Stethoscopes were first invented in the 1800s by René Laennec, a French physician. Almost 200 years since its invention, the use of stethoscopes may possibly end as the development of the HeartBuds device begins, experts say.
The developers explained that the HeartBuds can record internal sounds such as heartbeats. The smartphone application produces a file that can be digitally stored and shared.
Physicians use a small, portable plastic listening device similarly shaped like the head of a traditional stethoscope, but instead of being attached to a Y-shaped tube that can transmit sound into the ears, the HeartBuds is connected into a smartphone.
"They not only detect sounds inside the body just as well – or better – than traditional stethoscopes, but they are more sanitary," said Dr. David Bello, HeartBuds developer and department chief of cardiology at Orlando Health. "This could change the way we approach patient exams in the future."
When the app on the smartphone is activated, sounds can be played through the phone's internal speaker. Images that show rhythmic blips corresponding with each sound emerge on the screen.
With traditional stethoscopes, only those with the apparatus can hear the sounds that take place within the body, but now, with the new technology, health care providers can record various sounds for future reference, listen to and discuss sounds with patients in real time, and even adjust the volume.
In the study, the HeartBuds device was tested against traditional stethoscopes. Physicians examined 50 patients and compared the efficacy of these devices against each other. They used two FDA-approved stethoscopes which were class I and class II, and a disposable stethoscope model.
Researchers found that the HeartBuds device performed just as well as the two FDA-approved stethoscopes in detecting carotid bruits and heart murmurs. These are sounds in the neck that indicate moderate to severe blockage of the carotid artery, they said.
The team also found that the disposable stethoscope model failed to detect the presence of heart murmurs 43 percent of the time, as well as the presence of carotid bruits up to 75 percent of the time.
Valerie Danesh, the author of the study, said their findings were disconcerting since most facilities prefer disposable models over traditional stethoscopes. This is because previous data suggested that harmful bacteria can be transmitted through stethoscopes 30 to 40 percent of the time, she said. The HeartBuds device does not use any earpiece, so doctors are not worried about the spread of bacteria through them.
The study, originally published in the Journal of Mobile Technology in Medicine, was presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions in Florida on Nov. 7 to 11.
