AI-Powered Digital Stethoscopes Show Promise in Strengthening TB Screening, Recent Study Suggests

The studies of TB burden included countries such as India, Peru, South Africa, Uganda, and Vietnam, which suggested that an AI-enabled stethoscope may function as an effective TB screening and triage tool

Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled digital stethoscopes have shown potential in helping overcome gaps in health screening, particularly in low-resource and hard-to-reach areas, according to a new commentary published in a journal.

The study’s authors, including researchers from Canada, along with researchers from the UAE, Germany, and Switzerland, noted that digital stethoscopes combined with AI technology demonstrated promising accuracy in Tuberculosis detection.

According to author Madhukar Pai from McGill University, Canada, "AI-enabled digital stethoscopes have demonstrated promising accuracy and feasibility for detecting lung and cardiovascular abnormalities, with promising results in early TB studies. Training and validation in diverse, high-burden settings are essential to explore the potential of this tool further."

Despite advancements in screening tools, an estimated 2.7 million people with TB were missed by current screening programmes, and routine symptom screening is likely to miss people with asymptomatic or subclinical TB, the researchers noted.

While the WHO has recommended several AI-powered computer-aided detection (CAD) tools and ultra-portable radiography hardware, the researchers noted that “higher operating costs and upfront hardware act as a deterrent,” especially in some primary care settings.

Highlighting the AI’s role, the researchers added, “One application of AI for disease screening is to interpret acoustic (sound) biomarkers of disease, with potential to identify sounds that appear nonspecific or are inaudible to the human ear.”

The studies of TB burden included countries such as India, Peru, South Africa, Uganda, and Vietnam, which suggested that an AI-enabled stethoscope may function as an effective TB screening and triage tool.

The researchers further highlighted, “AI digital stethoscopes may become useful alternatives to imaging-based approaches for TB screening, with the potential to democratise access to care for populations underserved by radiography.”

"Importantly, AI digital stethoscopes offer a scalable, low-cost, and person-centered tool that could bring us closer to reaching TB case finding goals," they added

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