StratoScientific raises $12m for smartphone stethoscope

Privately-held StratoScientific has raised $12.4 million from 12 investors as part of an indefinite offering that began in June of 2016, according to a document filed this week with the SEC.

The Washington-based company sells a device that is integrated into a smartphone case and when paired with its mobile app provides real-time visualization of heart and lung sounds.

The system, called Steth IO, was developed by Suman Mulumudi at age 14 as a high school project. His work was inspired by his father, Mahesh Mulumudi, a practicing cardiologist, who told his son about the challenges of diagnosing heart problems with a traditional stethoscope.

“During early research, Suman came across a prototype for an electronic stethoscope developed in the ’80s. The device was wheeled around on a cart and used computers to visualize the patient’s heartbeat sound. Impressed by the concept of visualization, Suman wanted to see if he could produce the same capability on a mobile phone,” writes StratoScientific.

The system won FDA approval and launched in April this year. The device is available for purchase online, with a list price of $199.

The Steth IO system allows doctors to add notes and flag specific sections of interest in an exam, as well as track a patient’s history across multiple exams. StratoScientific is also working on incorporating machine learning to analyze recorded heart sounds and give diagnostic assistance to the physician. The company said it plans to release this capability later in 2018.

“Our smartphone stethoscope uses the ubiquity of mobile phones with the power of machine learning to make heart and lung exams more objective. Unlike traditional stethoscopes or expensive alternatives like echocardiograms, our product allows physicians to hear, visualize, and analyze heart and lung sounds for improved diagnoses,” the company said in prepared remarks.

The post StratoScientific raises $12m for smartphone stethoscope appeared first on MassDevice.

from MassDevice https://ift.tt/2lVjlnw