Two years after Rijuven launched its FDA-cleared device to convert analog stethoscopes into digital devices, the company has added a version geared to the pediatrics market.
In an interview with Riuven Co-founder and President Raj Kapoor, he explained that its goal was to move beyond heart sounds and provide a way to detect valve closure and pumpability. Like its original cardiosleeve device, it piggybacks on a stethoscope. The first version of the device records, displays and analyzes electrical and acoustical footprints of the heart in real time. The latest version syncs heart rhythm with an EKG, Kapoor said.
Although many children have a heart murmur it could be nonthreatening, what’s referred to as an “innocent murmur” but some can indicate congenital heart disease. Kapoor hopes his device is used by pediatricians and primary care physicians to help flag up children with these murmurs and their heart performance can be easily shared with a cardiologist. He also see sapplications for telemedicine, and anticipates that telemedicine companies and physicians who use it will be in the market for tools like this.
In a statement, the company noted that the new device could do advanced murmur detection analysis at times when restless patients, noisy environments and rapid heart rate can make examinations challenging.
Other companies have sought to crack the market for adding digital tools to stethoscopes. Last month Eko’s Class 2 medical device Eko CORE secured 510(k) clearance from the FDA. It wirelessly streams heart sounds to a smartphone app and integrates heart sounds directly into a patient’s electronic health record. It is also developing a separate clinical decision support app.
