Ultrasound may soon replace stethoscope
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.027644
Guardian : An iconic symbol of the medical profession, the stethoscope has been in use for almost 200 years. However, with advances in computer technology, pocket-sized ultrasound devices may soon take over. Not only is ultrasound more accurate than the traditional stethoscope, it can also be used to look at all the organs of the body, not just the heart, says Jagat Narula of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. In an editorial published in the journal Global Heart, Narula and colleague Bret Nelson report that although current ultrasound devices can cost as much as $10 000, much more than the average stethoscope, as the price of new technology goes down, ultrasound devices should become increasingly affordable.
