World's First AI-Ready Infrasound Stethoscope Listens to Bodily Sounds Not Audible to Human Ear

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 12 Apr 2022

Image: VoqX stethoscope listens to infrasound undetectable to human ear (Photo courtesy of Sanolla)

Bodily sounds that cannot be heard by humans contain clinically significant data that can help diagnose clinical conditions. Until now, this vital information was not available. A new technology draws lifesaving medical insights from listening to these inaudible bodily sounds and combines AI to provide disease classification for cardiopulmonary diseases, including COPD, pneumonia, asthma, and cardiac morbidities.

Sanolla (Nesher, Israel) has launched the AI-ready VoqX, the first stethoscope in the world that can listen to infrasound - acoustic waves that cannot be heard by humans. Sanolla’s smart infrasound stethoscope could replace all of today's archaic-technology stethoscopes. Sanolla's novel technology, dubbed "The Sounds of Life", picks up clinically rich low-frequency sound waves (3-40Hz), also known as infrasound, which are not audible to the human ear yet carry diagnostic information beyond what is available in the audible spectrum only. The VoqX's smart signal processing shifts sounds to the ear's most sensitive frequency range and coupled with dynamic noise cancelation provides an exceptional auscultation experience.

VoqX detects infrasound and audible sounds, identifies clinical condition based on the company’s AI algorithms and displays diagnosis through its proprietary sound signature image. This can reduce the need for CT or X-ray radiation or invasive blood tests and provide health care professionals with precise, fast diagnosis. Sanolla has developed AI algorithms for disease classification that provide unmatched disease classification for many cardiopulmonary diseases including COPD, pneumonia, asthma, and cardiac morbidities. The AI algorithms make full use of the infrasound information that will be uploaded to the AI-ready VoqX upon their regulatory clearance. The company has submitted 20 patent applications, eight of which have already been granted. Sanolla has been granted FDA 510(k) clearance for the clinical use of the AI-ready VoqX, following the regulatory approval granted recently by the Israeli Health Ministry. The regulatory approvals enable Sanolla to immediately make the VoqX available for clinical use in the US and Israel.

"FDA clearance is an important milestone for Sanolla. The VoqX, which has been used extensively for studies in the United States, Europe and Israel, is now available for clinical use," said Dr. Doron Adler, Sanolla's co-founder and CEO.

"The VoqX is an excellent tool for diagnosing cardiopulmonary morbidities including valvular pathologies," said Dr. Michael Wasserman, MD, a recognized expert on geriatric care and a member of federal and state advisory committees. "Its acoustic optimization and dynamic noise cancellation make the VoqX an indispensable tool for physicians in any environment and is expected to improve early detection of heart and lung diseases at the primary care level by general practitioners."

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