Under the agreement, Eko outfits LSU’s Sports Medicine team with its FDA-cleared CORE 500 digital stethoscopes and accompanying software. The software includes FDA-cleared AI algorithm for detecting AFib and heart murmurs.
This donation makes LSU the first college athletics program to implement the company’s AI-powered devices for student-athletes. Students undergoing physical exams can now have providers use the stethoscopes as a key preventive heart health tool.
Dr. Kelechi Akamiro, sports medicine physician at Our Lady of the Lake Health, said early detection is especially pertinent in student-athletes who constantly push their bodies to perform at a high level. Akamiro said the digital stethoscopes could assist in detecting irregularities or problems with greater precision.
Eko Health Commercial VP Joseph Authement, a former LSU student-athlete on the swim team, helped spearhead the initiative.
“Medical innovation has evolved tremendously since I was at LSU, notably with AI changing the game in preventive medicine. While it wasn’t heart-related, my LSU swimming career was cut short due to preexisting health issues, which may have been identified earlier with today’s available technology,” said Authement. “As an avid LSU fan and Louisiana native, I’m honored to represent a technology that can help save the lives of student athletes in the future.”
Eko plans to integrate its devices into LSU staff exams this summer ahead of the 2024-25 academic year.
