Key takeaways
• Smartphone stethoscopes, voice-detected heart failure, training using physical and virtual hearts, as well as early detection of cardiovascular disease using blood spots are among the innovations being presented at the first-ever ESC Digital & AI Summit.
• Together with technology, healthcare, and innovation experts, the summit will address the challenges of implementing digital health solutions while maintaining ethical integrity.
Berlin, 21 November 2025: Smartphone stethoscopes, voice-detected heart failure, training using 3D-printed and virtual hearts and early detection of cardiovascular disease using blood spots are among the innovations being presented at the ESC Digital & AI Summit taking place in Berlin, Germany, 21–22 November.
Cardiology professionals, technology experts, and business leaders from around the world will gather at this event to discuss the latest developments in artificial intelligence (AI) in cardiovascular care.
The two-day program features 33 live presentations across 13 Pitch Sessions including two award sessions. The two most outstanding demonstrations will be awarded.
The innovations to be presented include:
Theodor Health transforms any smartphone into a digital stethoscope that uses AI to detect heart conditions – including heart valve diseases and arrhythmias – within seconds. The app is currently being developed as a medical device and allows users to record heart sounds for 15 seconds on any iOS/Android smartphone, tap 'Analyse', and receive a traffic-light assessment, an AI probability value, and heart and respiratory rates – with a sensitivity and specificity of over 90% for heart murmurs, already exceeding traditional stethoscopes.
Dr Maximillian Priebe, founder and chief executive officer of Theodor Health, says: "Using only a smartphone, doctors and patients can access our website or app worldwide to detect signs of heart disease in 15 seconds and initiate further diagnostics right away."
Virtual CSP provides interactive real-time 3D simulation of conduction system pacing (CSP). CSP is the technique that places pacemaker leads along the heart's natural electrical pathways to stimulate the heart in a more physiological and synchronised way.
Epicardio - the London-based company that created an intelligent heart simulator - has adapted its simulation platform for CSP, with a view to minimising training on patients. Trainees can interact with a virtual heart, inserting leads inside the heart, while accurate ECG/CSP signals are generated in real time.
Epicardio co-founder Dr Vassilios Hurmusiadis says: "Using this virtual heart training enables hands-on learning of the mechanisms of CSP, conduction abnormalities and their relationship to cardiac anatomy and electrophysiology, in a safe simulated environment away from the patient."
Noah Labs Vox – voice-based remote monitoring for chronic heart failure detects early signs of heart failure (HF) deterioration using voice recordings alone. Patients submit a brief, standardised voice sample remotely using a commercially available smartphone or tablet. The system extracts and analyses acoustic features using an AI model to identify physiological changes linked to pulmonary congestion and fluid overload. Alerts are issued when the validated "wetness" score indicates a high likelihood of impending decompensation.
The technology is being evaluated in four complementary studies:
• VAMP-HF - an in-hospital observational study in patients with acute decompensated heart failure
• TIM-HF3 voice substudy - a pre-specified, multicentre observational study in ambulatory HF patients with weekly voice recordings
• PRE-DETECT-HF - a multicentre, multilingual observational study in ambulatory HF patients with daily voice recordings and six-month follow-up
• VAPP-HF - a multicenter, multilingual observational study in ambulatory HF patients with implanted
CardioMEMS devices to predict changes in pulmonary arterial pressure from voice.
Dr Leonhard Riehle, co-founder and chief medical officer of Noah Labs, Berlin, Germany, explains: "Vox requires no additional devices and is progressing through European Union CE-mark and US FDA certification. Future work includes prospective interventional trials, multilingual deployment, and integration with other digital biomarkers for comprehensive remote HF monitoring."
The technology is currently progressing through medical device regulation (MDR) clearance via the PRE-DETECT-HF trial, with anticipated approval in the European Union by mid-2026 and subsequent clearance in the US in 2027.
The PocDoc Healthy Heart Check is a medical device already certified and approved for use in the UK and rolled out across health centres and pharmacies nationwide, available for professional and at-home use.
The technology requires patients to take a small blood sample, drop it onto the PocDoc test and, after seven minutes, take a photo of the reading with their smartphone or tablet. It provides users with a full cholesterol profile, body mass index , heart age, and a 10-year risk assessment for heart attacks and strokes. Results are processed and appear instantly in the PocDoc app and can be shared directly with their GP. Onward services provide clinical support and lifestyle advice.
Dr Kiran Roest, Founder of PocDoc, located in Cambridge, UK, explains: "The PocDoc Healthy Heart Check makes preventative care for CVD more accessible than ever before. It also enables individuals to take control of their health and eases the strain on the healthcare system. Research by the UK's NHS research indicates that every digital health check could save 20 minutes of a GP's time. Further research has also shown 80% of CVD cases can be prevented through early detection. For patients, the PocDoc test significantly reduces the time it takes to arrange, undertake, and receive outcomes results."
PocDoc's Healthy Heart Check, currently available in UK pharmacies for around £20, is undergoing regulatory review for Europe and has entered discussions with the US FDA for US regulatory approval.
All featured innovations will be presented live at the Digital & AI Summit 2025 in Berlin. Explore the full lineup of sessions in our scientific programme .
