The BMC has introduced Bluetooth-enabled stethoscopes at BYL Nair and Sion hospitals in Mumbai and distributed 75 units in 14 departments. Called AyuSynk, the digital stethoscope has been developed by Ayu Devices to detect remote auscultation (chest sounds). It will also allow the storage of auscultated sounds as part of patients’ health records that can be shared with other doctors for confirmatory opinion.
Medical director of civic hospitals, Dr Neelam Andhrade said, “This stethoscope can be placed directly on desired body parts for observation, with doctors listening to auscultations remotely through Bluetooth headphones. This will help maintain a safe distance in case of infectious diseases.”
Dr Andhrade said the device will automatically record and store data of each patient via a mobile application, eliminating the need for manual entry. She said the two hospitals have received these digital devices free of cost, but other civic-run hospitals need to quote tenders for procuring them.
The project is part of the Society for Mumbai Incubation Lab to Entrepreneurship Council (SMILE Council), the CivicTech incubation centre of the BMC. The centre aims to identify and nurture new innovative products and technologies by supporting start-ups in the identified areas to strengthen health infrastructure.
Meanwhile, many private doctors use this stethoscope as it helps them in research and to record the patient’s heart beats for a better understanding.
Dr Gautam Bhansali, consultant physician at Bombay Hospital, said the Bluetooth-enabled stethoscope is more effective as a patient’s heartbeat is heard more clearly and can be recorded to train resident doctors and interns. However, its cost varies depending on the brand.
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