Here you'll find guidelines and best practices for getting the best audio and ECG quality with the CORE 500™.
Apply firm and constant pressure against the body to make sure you have good contact.
You can listen to body sounds over clothing, but ECG requires skin contact. Don’t perform an ECG over the patient’s clothing.
For ECG use, placing the device on the left upper sternal border (LUSB) gives the strongest signal. See Capture sounds and ECG with the CORE 500™.
Increase the volume as needed. See CORE 500™ volume control.
Instruct the patient to breathe normally and not to speak for the duration of the auscultation or ECG.
You can verify that the ECG signal is good by making sure the indicator on the screen turns green and has a check mark.
Clean the skin and/or electrodes with 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes to get a better ECG signal.
If the patient has particularly dry skin, significant body fat, or chest hair, then apply conductive gel to the CORE 500™ electrodes to improve the quality of the ECG signal.
Rub the skin vigorously to increase capillary blood flow to the tissues, if needed.
If possible, perform an exam in a quiet clinical area. If you are in noisy environments, you can turn on active noise cancellation for your Eko device in the Eko App settings. Learn how here.
If possible, try to avoid taking a recording when there is background noise such as music or other people talking.
We recommend using the provided earpiece for the best audio quality, as we can’t guarantee performance with other audio products. The earpiece has been designed with in-ear speakers to provide clear, low frequency reproduction of body sounds. Silicone ear tips and optimized acoustic design provide increased noise reduction and enhanced sound quality.
The Bluetooth range will be reduced when objects, such as walls, furniture, people, etc., are between the device and a paired mobile device. To improve Bluetooth connection, reduce the distance and/or allow a line of sight between the device and the mobile device.
To reduce the risk of device interference, keep the CORE 500™ at least 6 feet away from radiofrequency (RF) emitters, such as Wi-Fi routers, mobile and cordless phones, medical scanners, radar systems, microwave ovens, and so on.
If sudden or unexpected sounds are heard, move away from any radio transmitting antennas. Using accessories, transducers, and cables not produced by Eko may result in increased RF emissions.