Cardiovascular Acoustics for Early Disease Detection

There are many types of heart disease. Two of the most common causes are narrowings within the blood vessels that supply the heart (known as coronary artery disease), or valves within the heart becoming narrowed (stenosed) or leaky (regurgitation), known as heart valve disease.

There are two main types of imaging used to test for these conditions. Coronary artery disease can be diagnosed by taking X-ray pictures of a dye when injected into the blood vessels. In some cases the dye is injected into the veins and a CT scanner is used (CT coronary angiography), in others the dye is injected via a tube placed in the artery (invasive coronary angiography). Valvular heart disease is normally diagnosed using an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart).

In this study the investigators are looking for subtle changes in the sounds that come from the heart, which may allow heart disease to be detected earlier. The investigators are using a novel device, similar to a digital stethoscope, that has excellent sensitivity for heart sounds. Ultimately this may be used in community settings including GP surgeries, in this study the investigators are collecting sounds from patients undergoing routine scans as part of their workup for heart disease.

Not Yet Recruiting

Trial opening soon.

Get Notified

Key information

Conditions

Valvular Heart Disease Arterial Occlusive Diseases Arteriosclerosis Cardiovascular Diseases Coronary Artery Disease Coronary Disease Heart Diseases Heart Valve Diseases Myocardial Ischemia Vascular Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Participants aged ≥18 years
Able to provide written, informed consent
Has undergone angiography in the previous 6 months and scheduled to undergo transthoracic echocardiography, or has undergone transthoracic echocardiography in the previous 6 months and scheduled to undergo angiography, or is scheduled to undergo transthoracic echocardiography and angiography within 6 months.
Angiography and echocardiography performed within Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Exclusion criteria

Haemodynamic instability
STEMI or high risk NSTEMI
Anginal symptoms at rest
Heart failure symptoms with NYHA 4
Cardiovascular related admission or event occurring between imaging studies
Uncontrolled symptomatic arrhythmia
Acute pulmonary embolism
Acute aortic dissection
Previous valve intervention
Suspected endocarditis

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

Discriminant score

Time frame: Investigations to be performed within six (6) months of one another.

A discriminant score (minimum 0, maximum 1) for each of coronary artery disease and valvular heart disease will be generated by analysis of the phonographs.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Stephen Kelleher

CONTACT

[email protected]

01223 217418

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Other

Collaborators

University of Cambridge

Registry information

Official study title

ACOUTECT: Cardiovascular Acoustics for Early Disease Detection

Acronym: ACOUTECT

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2027
Study completion: 2029
First posted: Mar 27, 2026
Registry last updated: Apr 1, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed