AI-powered stethoscopes are being distributed to UK clinics by Eko via Imperial College London

Eko Health is in the process of introducing its AI-enhanced stethoscopes to primary care facilities throughout the United Kingdom, embarking on this endeavor through a program spearheaded by Imperial College London. This initiative, known as TRICORDER, derives its name from the iconic handheld health scanner featured in Star Trek and is characterized as a comprehensive rollout. The funding for this expansive project is provided by the United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Research, with the primary objective of aiding frontline healthcare professionals in the early detection of heart failure, valve disease, and atrial fibrillation cases.

Eko’s innovative digital technology platform, recognized as Sensora in the United States, has recently secured regulatory approval in the UK. The TRICORDER program is set to commence its implementation within 100 general practitioner clinics across the country. The overarching purpose of this endeavor is to guide individuals requiring more in-depth diagnostic evaluations toward scheduling an echocardiogram.

Nicholas Peters, a professor of cardiology at Imperial College London and the NHS Trust, who leads the TRICORDER team, highlighted the importance of this initiative, noting, “Heart failure admission alone costs the UK over £2 billion annually, and an unacceptable 80% of these diagnoses are made during emergency admissions.” 

The investigators behind TRICORDER also project substantial cost savings for healthcare payers and improved patient outcomes. They estimate that the application of Eko’s cardiac detection technology during routine primary care visits could potentially save payers approximately £2,400 per patient, equivalent to roughly $3,000 in the United States. Additionally, this approach could help patients avoid unnecessary emergency room visits, thereby streamlining the healthcare system.

Eko’s AI approach combines a digital stethoscope equipped with noise-reduction capabilities with a three-lead electrocardiogram sensor. By analyzing heart sounds and electrocardiogram waves, the algorithms developed by Eko aim to identify structural murmurs that may indicate a leaky heart valve and identify reductions in the left ventricle’s pumping performance, which are indicative of heart failure.

Furthermore, Eko’s program for detecting heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is currently undergoing review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Eko reported that previous studies demonstrated the sensitivity and specificity of the HFrEF algorithm to be “approaching 80%.” Sensora made its entry into the U.S. enterprise market in February following clearance for a heart murmur diagnosis in July 2022.

In September, Eko unveiled a collaboration with Astellas Pharma and Welldoc, with the aim of developing an advanced heart failure solution integrating Eko’s digital stethoscope with Welldoc’s digital therapeutics. Astellas has named this proprietary approach Z1608 and has plans to seek new FDA clearance for remote patient monitoring, accompanied by a smartphone application, to further enhance patient care and monitoring.