Eko Brings Smart Stethoscope to Canada to Improve Healthcare

Medical device company Eko today announced it has received a Health Canada license to introduce its next generation digital stethoscope, the Eko Core, to the Canadian healthcare market.

On the 200th anniversary of the stethoscope’s invention, the Eko Core paves the way for a new generation of clinicians to screen for and monitor the cardiovascular diseases that affect 1.6 million Canadians.

The Eko Core is the only stethoscope on the market to wirelessly stream heart and lung sounds to a secure smartphone application. It is also the first such device to enable the saving of these sounds to a patient’s electronic health record.

“In Canada, our vast geography results in large distances between the pediatric tertiary care centres and health professionals in the community,” said Dr. Michael Storr, Pediatric Hospitalist at Kingston General Hospital in Ontario. “The Eko Core and accompanying software is ideal for long distance education and consultation.”

The Eko Core, first cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2015, is used by clinicians at over 400 hospitals and health systems across the United States.

According to the 2015 Canadian Telehealth Report, telehealth visits grew over 45%  between 2012 and 2014, from 282,000 visits to more than 411,000 visits.

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