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Digital disruption and transformation has come to one of the most popular and oldest medical devices used by doctors around the world: the stethoscope.
First invented in 1816 by the French physician Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec, the stethoscope helped examine the sounds made by the heart and lungs and determine diagnoses supported by observations during autopsies. .
American health tech startup Eko Health is at the forefront of reinventing this device, introducing cutting-edge digital technology to revolutionize the stethoscope. As a pioneer in this acoustic revolution, Eko Health does more than just rethink traditional medical devices. They are using artificial intelligence (AI)-powered algorithms to reshape the diagnostic landscape to detect heart problems at the point of first contact with a medical professional.
Unlike traditional stethoscopes, which transmit sounds through a traditional tube, Eko Health’s devices leverage digital technology to capture and analyze heart sounds with unparalleled accuracy. This evolution allows for more nuanced and accurate assessments, giving healthcare providers a comprehensive understanding of their patients’ cardiovascular health.
the core of the problem
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States since 1950. In the United States one person dies from cardiovascular disease every 33 seconds. Additionally, heart disease is responsible for approximately one-third of all deaths in the United States each year. However, his 2-4% of people who have a heart attack are sent home incorrectly. Although heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of all races and genders, heart disease-related mortality rates vary by ethnicity. Eko Health is on a mission to democratize precision digital care and save millions of lives, especially those from under-resourced groups.
Connor Landgraf, Jason Bellet, and Tyler Crouch, co-founders of Eko Health; Source: EcoHealth.
The importance of Eko Health’s digital stethoscope takes into account the persistent challenge of limited access to specialized cardiac care, especially in remote, rural, or simply underserved areas. Then it becomes even more obvious. Rural areas around the world suffer from large disparities in cardiovascular health. With a global shortage of cardiologists, there is an urgent need for solutions that allow general practitioners, nurses, and even home care workers to effectively manage heart problems.
Eko Health’s digital stethoscope acts as a powerful equalizer, bridging the gap between urban centers and remote medical facilities. These devices integrate artificial intelligence into the diagnostic process and collect thousands of heartbeat sounds on the cloud, allowing healthcare professionals to go beyond simple auscultation and gain a deeper understanding of heart conditions.
In early 2023, Eko Health announced the SENSORA heart disease detection platform, designed to complement digital stethoscopes with intelligent software. SENSORA employs AI to accurately detect structural murmurs, a key marker of valvular heart disease (VHD), and when combined with Care Pathway Analytics software, provides valuable insight into a patient’s medical journey . This innovation will significantly improve the health system’s ability to consistently and accurately detect her VHD during routine visits with her primary care physician.
Valvular heart disease is a serious disease that affects more than 8 million Americans and poses a major threat if left untreated. Complications include heart failure, stroke, blood clots, and even death. Alarmingly, more than half (57%) of clinically significant valvular heart disease cases in older adults are overlooked. However, when a primary care physician utilizes her SENSORA to detect structural murmurs, she is more than twice as likely to identify a significant her VHD. This breakthrough technology has the potential to significantly impact healthcare outcomes.
Related: 10 insights into healthtech business in the MENA region
heartbeat shazam
Ensuring timely diagnosis and intervention is a major challenge as specialized cardiac care is not available in many communities around the world. Recognizing this gap, Eko Health set out on a mission to democratize cardiac care and make it available everywhere in the world. Eko Health is helping rural healthcare providers become the first line of defense against heart problems by developing a digital stethoscope and a unique database of heartbeat sounds.
Source: EcoHealth.
Eko Health’s digital stethoscope serves as the cornerstone of an innovative approach to cardiac diagnosis. Dubbed the “Shazam of heartbeats,” the device captures and analyzes heart sounds with the precision of a symphony orchestra conductor. AI-assisted diagnostic tools decipher the complex language of heartbeats, giving healthcare providers a way to learn about a patient’s cardiovascular health. Today, Eko Health serves millions of patients and supports more than 400,000 clinicians.
Eko Health was founded in 2013 by Connor Landgraf, Jason Berrett, and Tyler Crouch, who witnessed the limitations of traditional stethoscopes while studying biomedical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Ta. Eko’s first product, a traditional stethoscope attachment with a compatible smartphone application, received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance in 2015. The startup has since received FDA clearance for two of his other devices, and his Eko was screened in 2018. The algorithm, developed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, has earned “Breakthrough Device” designation from the FDA.
The team has also raised over $125 million to date for its AI-powered heart disease detection platform. Proving that Eko Health’s mission has transformative potential, Better Ventures wrote its first institutional check to invest in Eko Health. The Silicon Valley-based impact venture capital (VC) firm raises its fourth funding, bringing the total to 64 investments impacting the United Nations’ 10 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in its 12th year. Successful. Currently, Better Ventures manages his $108 million in assets, primarily focused on the areas of sustainability, health, and economic opportunity. Founding partners Wes Selke and Rick Moss say their founding investment thesis still holds true: “Mission-focused founders outperform because of the magnetism of purpose.” ing.
Better Ventures invests primarily in pre-seed and seed-stage science and technology startups that have the potential to create large-scale impact and transform the economy in ways that generate significant economic returns. Better Ventures, a B-Corp, measures its impact through five metrics across its portfolio, including people served, tons of carbon emissions avoided or reduced, and quality jobs facilitated. These indicators directly correspond to the widely recognized SDG impact criteria and the IRIS+ (Impact Measurement and Management System created by the Global Impact Investing Network) indicators. As for Eko, Better Ventures partner Rick Moss said the team recognizes the potential of the startup’s technology to revolutionize healthcare and bring an immediate paradigm shift in cardiac diagnostics.
At the heart of every community lies the potential for a medical revolution. Eko Health’s commitment to transforming cardiac care in underserved communities is more than just a technological feat, it’s a testament to the human spirit’s ability to innovate and improve. With Better Ventures firmly committed to this vision, the symphony of innovation continues, creating a future where every heartbeat is understood, every story is heard, and every individual has equal access to the care they deserve. It’s promised.
Explore how impact investing connects capital with positive social and environmental outcomes. Read our special report on impact investing here.
This article was originally published on Lucidity Insights, Entrepreneur Middle East’s partner in developing special reports on the technology and entrepreneurial ecosystems of the Middle East and Africa.
Related: Entrepreneur Middle East and Lucidity Insights launch new report on the state of the MENA region’s USD 244 billion healthtech industry
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