Stethoscopes powered by artificial intelligence (AI) could help detect three different heart conditions in seconds, researchers say, BBC reported.

The original stethoscope, invented in 1816, allows doctors to listen to the internal sounds of a patient's body.

A British team conducted a study using a modern version and say they found it can spot heart failure, heart valve disease and abnormal heart rhythms almost instantly.

The tool could be a "real game-changer" resulting in patients being treated sooner, the researchers say - with plans to roll the device out across the UK following a study involving 205 GP surgeries in west and north-west London, according to BBC.