US based Nigerian medical expert Dr. Samson Arigbamu has invented a stethoscope which is capable of immediately identifying adventitious lung such as COVID-19 infected lungs that would immediately announce its findings.
Dr. Samson Arigbamu in a mail to Vanguard Ibadan stated that this stethoscope is in production at prototype and optimisation stage, which the final product would commence by December. He said that the process could be expedited with resources from individuals, organisations or even the Nigerian government.
Dr. Arigbamu has been living in the USA for about 22 years and currently the Director of Nursing at Future Care Lochearn, a 200-bed capacity health rehabilitation centre in Baltimore Maryland. He has been on the employment of the company for 10 years, prior to that, he was a director of nursing at Manor Care Woodbridge in Baltimore Maryland currently he owns and operate a private clinic called Upsurge Health Associate in Freeland, Maryland.
Dr. Arigbamu said that the eventual production of the stethoscope would be a great achievement of pride to Nigeria government for the fact that a citizen of the country invented a critical medical equipment worthy of a USA patent, hence, soliciting support from Nigeria government. Arigbamu even said that having worked in the healthcare field for over 20 years, he had seen healthcare providers including nurses, mid-level providers and physicians struggle with identifying lung and heart sounds. As a result, chest x-rays, EKGs and other cardiac interrogative tests are often ordered to identify adventitious lung and heart conditions.
He also said that clinical issue with these expensive tests and devices is they are incapable of identify adventitious sounds and providing immediate and accurate feedback, consequently and utilization of such devices often result in significant clinical and health issues for the patients and even a waste of valuable resource.
“Due to such challenges, he started working on inventing a digital stethoscope that could identify lung and heart sounds, interpret the sounds and immediately announce its findings to the users.” The stethoscope is also capable of integrating its data into the electronic medical record. With this capabilities, it will enhance physical assessment vital to health care providers and novice users. It will also ensure opportunities for timely intervention and prevention of further health decline in patients.
“This stethoscope is also equipped with an electronic medical record (EMR), integration capabilities (essential to telemedicine) to improve care coordination and patient information portability.” The project received a USA patent and is currently in the prototype phase of production in the USA and Ukraine. The invention of the stethoscope would be a great achievement of pride to Nigeria as a citizen of the country invented such critical medical equipment worthy of a USA patent.