Eko’s CORE 300 puts AI murmur detection inside a stethoscope clinicians already know how to use

The stethoscope is more than 200 years old, and most attempts to replace it have failed because clinicians simply prefer what they know. Eko Health is betting that the fix is not replacement but a twist of the wrist.

The California company has launched CORE 300 after receiving FDA 510(k) clearance for pediatric and adult patients. It is the first stethoscope to combine traditional and digital listening in one chestpiece. It also carries FDA-cleared AI for structural murmur detection. Eko says it has already delivered more than 750,000 devices.

How does it work?

Clinicians turn the chestpiece to move between classic acoustic listening and digital modes for cardiac, pulmonary and general use. Digital mode offers up to 35x amplification and active noise cancellation. Heart rate appears on a built-in display as the clinician listens.

Paired with the Eko App, the device records and visualizes heart, lung and body sounds. The AI then screens for structural murmurs during the exam itself. Other features:

• Adjustable volume
• Multi-week battery life
• USB-C charging
• A shatter-resistant display

Why does it matter?

Price is the quiet headline. Digital stethoscopes have mostly stayed niche because they cost more than many clinicians will pay. Eko is pricing CORE 300 in line with premium analog models, which could move AI screening from specialist clinics into everyday primary care.

The use cases are familiar to any GCC hospital: a crowded emergency department, a noisy pediatric clinic, a remote facility far from a cardiologist. Eko's chief medical officer, Steven Steinhubl, says adoption depends on new tools fitting the way clinicians already practice. That is a fair point, and it is where many health technologies stumble.

The context

Heart disease killed more than 694,000 people in the US in 2025, according to the CDC, and chronic lower respiratory diseases caused over 148,000 deaths. The Gulf has its own burden of cardiovascular and respiratory illness, with high rates of diabetes and obesity adding to the risk.

That makes early detection a natural fit for national agendas such as Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE's push for AI-supported, preventive care. Tools that work inside a routine exam, without new workflows, are the kind these programs favor.

But the Gulf is not yet on the rollout list. After the US launch, Eko will expand to Canada, the UK and select European markets, with more countries to follow. Regional regulators, including the UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Saudi FDA, would need to approve it before any local use.