LightScope Validation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Clinical Validation of LightScope: A Contactless Optical Stethoscope for Murmur Detection Compared to Standard Auscultation and Using Echocardiography as the Clinical Reference
IRAS ID
364868
Contact name
Sandosh Padmanabhan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lighthearted AI Limited
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN76316123
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 29 days
Research summary
Valvular heart disease (VHD) happens when one or more of the heart’s valves don’t work properly. If a valve doesn’t open or close the right way, it can affect how well the heart pumps blood. If not caught early, valve problems can lead to serious health issues like heart failure.
Doctors often use a stethoscope to listen for unusual sounds in the heart, called murmurs. But this method isn’t perfect—it depends on the doctor’s experience and can be affected by noise or other factors. That means some valve problems might be missed or diagnosed late. There’s a need for tools that help doctors spot heart problems more clearly and consistently.
The purpose of the study is to find out whether the LightScope device can assist clinicians in the detection of heart murmurs. The investigation will compare the device’s performance to a stethoscope, using echocardiography as the reference standard. The LightScope device captures and displays heart sounds using laser light.
About 150 people who are having or recently had a heart ultrasound are invited to take part. This includes healthy controls, participants with confirmed HVD and documented atrial fibrillation.
Participants will be invited to visit the clinic to sign a consent form agreeing to take part. They will have their vital signs checked, heart sounds recorded with LightScope, and a doctor will listen with a stethoscope. Results will be compared with their echocardiogram. Some participants may also have another short heart sound recording using a different device called the Eko Core 500, which is a digital stethoscope used for comparison. Participants may be selected to take part in a usability study using the LightScope device, and complete a short questionnaire about their experience with the device. Once these steps are completed, the participant’s part in the study will be finished.REC name
South East Scotland REC 02
REC reference
26/SS/0016
Date of REC Opinion
26 May 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion