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Peter Bentley's iStethoscope iPhone App Takes Off

by Terrence O'Brien on September 2, 2010 at 08:45 AM

iPhone Stethoscope App
When Peter Bentley wrote the 'iStethoscope' app for the iPhone, it was meant, we think, to be entertainment. The $0.99 app has some surprisingly powerful features for recording and measuring heart beats, but the tiny iPhone microphone makes it quite difficult to use and a tad unreliable. In the U.S., the app hasn't seen much success, but, overseas, it's gained traction since Bentley introduced a free version last week.

With over 500 downloads per day, 'iStethoscope' has clearly piqued some people's interest. The question is, are any of them doctors? The iPhone's potential in the healthcare field is no secret, but thus far such uses have been confined to the likes of blood sugar meters and non-smoking apps. Is it possible for a medical professional to simply place her phone against your chest, and listen to and record your heart? Will doctors use their iPhones to perform ultrasounds, or to perform on-the-spot blood analysis? Maybe, but we won't lie: If our doctor came to the examination room and started pressing his beat-up 3G against our chest, he'd only hear a heart attack.

Tags: health, healthcare, istethoscope, medical, medicine, stethoscope, top

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