Heart and lung diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for more than 20 million deaths each year, many of which are preventable, according to the World Health Organization. These statistics highlight the need for accessible, preventative healthcare tools that empower people — particularly those facing barriers to traditional care — to take control of their health.
Various factors contribute to this, including a lack of medical infrastructure in rural areas, high costs, and limited availability of specialist staff, and equipment that is too complex for use outside clinical settings.
That prompted Pittsburgh-based med-tech startup Korion Health Inc. (www.korionhealth.com) to set about developing a device that would make heart and lung examinations accessible even to those without medical training. The resulting electronic stethoscope –– dubbed SoundHeart™ –– is designed to integrate basic diagnostics into everyday home life. It enables users to record heart sounds from home and transmit the data to healthcare providers anywhere.
The development team opted to take a single-material approach. They chose Covestro’s Makrolon® 2458 polycarbonate. This material platform combines several requirements –– it is biocompatible, mechanically robust, dimensionally stable, and offers both acoustic precision and design flexibility. It is able to be molded to tight tolerances and provides the dimensional stability needed for a device that can withstand frequent handling and exposure to moisture.
The PC resin’s versatility allowed Bally Design to use a single material for both opaque and translucent components, simplifying manufacturing and reducing costs. Covestro also supported the project by providing material options that had already undergone rigorous testing and certification.
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“This device is more than a product — It’s a movement toward inclusive healthcare,” said Anna Li, Korion Health co-founder and joint MD-Ph.D. student at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. “It’s designed to empower individuals to own and understand their health data and participate actively in their care.”
The project has a distinctly Pittsburgh flavor, as Korion developed the device in conjunction with three local neighbors –– Covestro, Bally Design, and Hellbender. The latter is a computer vision and robotics company that led the electrical engineering design and manufacturing.
The team prototyped the internal electronics and initial foam model, then optimized the sound quality through acoustic testing and microphone design, implementing creative solutions like sealing environmental gaps to reduce sound interference.
“For decades, the medical community has relied on our materials and expertise to deliver life-enhancing solutions,” said Emily Shaffer, Healthcare Market Manager, Americas-Engineering Plastics for Covestro LLC. “We’re proud to support a project that empowers people to play an active role in their health.”
The project began at the University of Pittsburgh’s Makerspace during the Pitt Challenge Healthcare Hackathon in 2021 and has since grown into a community-driven effort, supported by local incubators, investors, and partners, including winning the $1M Hult Prize in 2024. Korion expects the device to be available globally following receipt of FDA 510(k) clearance.
The SoundHeart™ System is Korion Health’s flagship platform and combines an affordable digital stethoscope with an intuitive computer-vision guided user interface. Li says the company’s future developments will include AI-driven diagnostic analytics and a suite of affordable health screening tools for home use.
One reviewer noted: “Technological innovation alone is not enough to make medical care more widely accessible. It is only through the use of suitable materials that products become robust, user-friendly, and economically scalable.”
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