A new way to listen\u00a0<\/p>\n
With heart sounds collected from the digital stethoscopes, these researchers feed that audio data into a computer for further analysis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis would just give us another tool\u2026 then your doctor can work with you to then make subtle changes or put you on a treatment that really gives you a better quality of life moving forward rather than, say, waiting until you\u2019ve had a major heart attack,\u201d Hutcheson said.<\/p>\n
The goal is to train the machine learning or AI model to detect subtle changes in heartbeats that human ears may miss, offering the potential for earlier, preventative care.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aWhat we\u2019re doing is taking that signal and using machine learning to try to analyze that,\u201d Hutcheson explains. \u201cTo pick out very subtle changes that indicate the presence of disease.\u201d<\/p>\n
Health and AI intersect\u00a0<\/p>\n
To train the algorithm, the team began with pre-clinical data from lab models, including collecting sounds from healthy and diseased mice hearts, with some data from human hearts as well.<\/p>\n
The sounds capture tiny mechanical vibrations, sometimes caused by stiffening arteries or narrowing heart vessels, that can indicate the early onset of disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe aren\u2019t telling the computer what it is,\u201d Hutcheson explains. \u201cThen we look at how well it\u2019s able to then predict whether it\u2019s diseased or not \u2014 and we see about 95% accuracy on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
It means the new model has the potential to catch those sounds that doctors at a regular check up sometimes miss, he explained.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aThere\u2019s studies out there suggesting that a doctor listening through a stethoscope can pick up the initial stages of disease, only about 30 to 40% of the time, so that\u2019s a major improvement,\u201d Hutcheson said.<\/p>\n
The model is being trained to recognize acoustic signatures of calcification \u2014 a condition where soft tissue in the arteries hardens into bone-like material, often with no previous symptoms.<\/p>\n
Hutcheson says the goal is to collect enough data and evidence to eventually move the algorithm into clinical use. That could mean a low-cost tool that patients use at home, transmitting data directly to their physician.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/heartimage-1024x886.webp.webp\")
Pictured here: Data collected by FIU showing a visual example of the heart abnormality. Pictured at the top of this post: Dr. Joshua Hutcheson and Dr. Valentina Dargam in the lab. Photo provided by Dr. Valentina Dargam<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think it could be something like a wearable blood pressure monitor,\u201d Hutcheson said. \u201cThis could enable someone at home to take these measurements, have them transmitted to a system their doctor can access, and then regularly monitor it, whether it\u2019s for diagnosis or for ongoing treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n
That kind of access could have a real impact, Hutcheson says, especially for patients in communities where regular access to cardiologists or advanced imaging tools can be limited.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone who doesn\u2019t have adequate access,\u201d Hutcheson said. \u201cWhether that be in a rural community, or cannot afford regular access to healthcare, we think it can have a tremendous impact there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond just cardiology\u00a0<\/p>\n
The research is supported by grants from the Florida Heart Research Foundation and Baptist Health Hospital in Kendall, and includes collaborations with institutions like the University of Miami and other clinical partners.<\/p>\n
While heart health is the current focus, Hutcheson believes this sound-based approach has a potential for growth and could extend well beyond cardiology.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aAnything that\u2019s producing sound, that could become abnormal with changes, in the tissue, in the body, this could be used for, so I can certainly imagine, bone health, muscle health, anything like that,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t see why it couldn\u2019t be used.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hutcheson says this convergence of sound science, artificial intelligence, and healthcare has the potential to open many new doors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s really where the magic happens,\u201d Hutcheson said. \u201cWhen you can get these people together\u2026 working on a common problem and providing expertise across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carla Mendez is a reporter with\u00a0WLRN\u00a0News, South Florida\u2019s only public radio station. This story was originally published by\u00a0WLRN\u00a0News.org<\/a>, a content partner with Refresh Miami.<\/p>\n READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI: <\/p>\n <\/a>
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