World-first digital stethoscope app for remote clinical exams via video conference

Digital & Innovation: The world’s first digital stethoscope app that transmits stethoscope audio digitally without any loss of quality, and provides a remote physician with complete control of stethoscope functions, is being launched in Australia.

Telehealth solutions specialist, Visionflex, has made history with the launch of TrueSteth. It’s revolutionary digital design enables the transmission of crystal-clear, diagnostic quality stethoscope sounds over video conference calls – even in low-bandwidth environments – without any loss of audio fidelity.

Importantly, TrueSteth’s innovative software also means that, for the first time, a physician at the far end of a video conference call can remotely manipulate the software controls of a stethoscope – the volume, gain, and filter settings – as if they were physically in the room with the patient.

“For years, the dream of achieving true stethoscope audio quality over a video conferencing call has been the ultimate goal of telehealth physicians,” said Visionflex CEO and cofounder, Mike Harman.

“Now the team at Visionflex has developed a revolutionary solution that not only reproduces stethoscope sounds with amazing clarity and accuracy, but also gives a remote physician complete control over the stethoscope’s local audio volume, filter settings, and gain.

“The high-fidelity audio helps ensure an accurate diagnosis with crystal-clear heart, lung, and body sounds over any distance – even in low-bandwidth environments.

“TrueSteth transforms the way clinicians can examine, diagnose, monitor and treat their remote patients.”

TrueSteth also features a display panel that provides a visual representation of the stethoscope’s audio feed, with the option of three adjustable viewing modes for heart, lung, and body sounds. The visual display’s clinical data can be recorded and shared or saved to an electronic health record system.

Because TrueSteth makes it possible to bring specialist medical help to the point of need, it is particularly well suited to delivering healthcare in medically remote locations and settings where access to healthcare can be problematic. These settings include rural communities; retirement and aged care facilities; oil, gas, and mining sites; field health sites; military and
defence; and corrective-service facilities.

TrueSteth can be used to perform safe-distance auscultation and is also a valuable collaborative training tool for hospital registrars and medical students.

TrueSteth is compatible with a range of 3.5mm plug, USB, and Bluetooth digital stethoscopes, including the popular Thinklabs One digital stethoscope.

TrueSteth runs on Visionflex’s telehealth-specific video conferencing platform, Vision.

The company was formed in 2014 by two Australian engineers with the mission of making world-class healthcare available to everyone, everywhere. From Antarctica to the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Canada, and the USA, Visionflex is helping to improve health outcomes around the globe.