Eko Devices Launches Eko, A Groundbreaking Stethoscope Technology And Software Designed To Enhance Cardiac Care

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The Eko Core device is attached inline with the tubing of a stethoscope, amplifying and transmitting high-quality digitized heart sounds through the stethoscope’s earbuds, and digitally streams the sounds to the Eko Software on a smartphone or tablet.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - April 03, 2014) - Eko Devices -- www.ekodevices.com -- a UC Berkeley-incubated medical device startup and pioneer in digital heart monitoring, has redefined stethoscope technology with the release of its flagship product, Eko. Eko improves monitoring and detection of heart conditions and combats the soaring cost of cardiac care by providing clinicians with unprecedented heart sound amplification, recording, collaboration, and analysis using existing analog stethoscopes. The product
will be unveiled at DEMO Enterprise 2014.

“Studies show that 4 out of 5 new primary care doctors can’t accurately diagnose heart defects. Heart murmurs are hard to hear and identify even for the best of doctors,” said Connor Landgraf, co-founder and CEO of Eko Devices. “Eko’s technology enables clinicians to amplify, record, and analyze heart sounds through the stethoscope they already own, making them better able to discern who does and does not need further testing. We’re proud to announce that we’ve applied the newest technology in digital health to the analog stethoscope.”

According to Kaiser Permanente, $750 billion is wasted annually on unnecessary health care in the United States with 44 percent of people with no heart risk factors or symptoms reporting in a Consumer Reports’ study that they received a heart-specific screening test including an EKG, stress test and ultrasound of the carotid arteries.

How Eko works:
The Eko Core device is attached inline with the tubing of a stethoscope, amplifying and transmitting high-quality digitized heart sounds through the stethoscope’s earbuds, and digitally streams the sounds to the Eko Software on a smartphone or tablet. With the Eko Software, physicians can quickly analyze a heartbeat, visualize the audio waveform, record and playback heart sounds, and export them to a patient’s electronic health records or to another practitioner for a second opinion.

• Eko Core Attachment
  • Digitize patient heart sounds;
  • Amplify sounds into stethoscope earpieces for easier hearing;
  • Stream sounds to smart devices using Bluetooth LE technology.
• Eko Software:
  • Visualize sound waveform for easy analysis;
  • Record, save, slow down, and playback heart sounds;
  • Share sounds with other physicians or specialists for follow-up;
  • Analyze sounds at point of care using heart murmur detection algorithm.

How Eko will be used:
Eko can integrate seamlessly into private practices, small clinics, or large hospital systems, and is designed for use by millions of clinicians in the United States who use a stethoscope. Any clinician, from a recent medical school graduate to a seasoned primary care doctor, will be able to easily differentiate between benign and pathologic heart murmurs. Pediatricians can monitor heart sounds and murmurs as a child ages by storing heart sounds during checkups and creating a timeline of a child’s heart. Finally, cardiologists can visualize heart sounds and securely share them with other physicians for increased diagnostic collaboration.

“Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States and there is an enormous need for clinicians to provide excellent yet affordable cardiac care. Eko combines the traditional stethoscope with an innovative technology which promises to improve the care we provide at a very low cost. I’m excited to see how we can use it in the clinic,” said UC San Francisco cardiologist, Dr. John Chorba.

About Eko Devices
Eko Devices is a Silicon Valley startup that is on the leading edge of digital health and heart monitoring technology. Eko Device’s flagship product, Eko, is a stethoscope attachment and software that allows doctors to convert an analog stethoscope into a fully functional digital stethoscope. Eko Devices is beginning clinical pilots with leading Bay Area hospitals and expects to complete the FDA clearance process for Eko by December 2014.

For more information, visit http://ekodevices.com. You can also follow Eko Devices on Twitter @EkoDevices.

About DEMO Enterprise 2014
Produced by the IDG Enterprise events group, the worldwide DEMO conferences focus on emerging technologies and new products innovations, which are hand selected from across the spectrum of the technology marketplace. The DEMO conferences have earned their reputation for consistently identifying cutting-edge technologies and helping entrepreneurs secure venture funding and establish critical business. For more information on the DEMO conferences, visit http://www.demo.com/.

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