Emerging technologies were showcased at last week's European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Digital and AI Summit in Berlin.
Focused on cardiovascular medicine, the event's "pitch sessions" highlighted the work of Dr. Kiran Roest, Dr. Vassilios Hurmusiadis, Dr. Maximillian Priebe, Dr. Leonhard Riehle, and others.
For example, Riehle's Noah Labs in Germany has introduced Vox, voice-based remote monitoring tuned to potential signs of chronic heart failure. Accessible on a smartphone or tablet, the system is designed to analyze acoustic features of voice recordings and produce a "wetness" score, indicating what it considers physiological changes linked to pulmonary congestion and fluid overload.
Another technology out of Germany employs the smartphone as a "digital stethoscope," combining an AI-derived probability value from detected heart and respiratory rates in relation to heart valve diseases and arrhythmias. From Theodor Health, this app might be useful for determining the need to initiate further diagnostics, according to Priebe.
A third, Hurmusiadis' U.K.-based Epidcardio, introduces an adapted conduction system pacing (CSP) platform for virtual heart training. The app enables trainees to interact with a virtual heart to learn about the mechanisms of CSP, a 3D-simulation technique that places pacemaker leads along the heart's natural electrical pathways to stimulate the heart.
One more out of the U.K., PocDoc Healthy Heart Check pairs the PocDoc lipid testing kit with smartphone communication to act on cardiovascular health risk assessment. For the ESC Digital and AI Summit, Roest noted the digital health check could save time for general practitioners.
When used in combination with clinical workups, including radiology, these technologies, if proven safe and effective, could lead to proactive health strategies that improve outcomes and reduce physician burdens and healthcare costs. Healthcare providers may want to stay abreast of CE-marking, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance, and clinical studies involving these and other technologies.
For more areas of interest, go to the ESC Digital and AI Summit 2025 scientific program here.
