Most people would not want their doctors chatting on a Bluetooth headset during a checkup. But what if that technology could save patients thousands of dollars?

A first-of-its-kind stethoscope developed by Maplewood-based 3M Co. and Connecticut-based Zargis Medical uses Bluetooth technology to wirelessly transfer sound waves from the heart and lungs straight to a computer. After 20 seconds of processing, software helps doctors identify heart murmurs or other ailments, Zargis CEO John Kallassy said.

The product cost around $11 million to develop, he said.

Zargis partnered with 3M Health Care, one of 3M’s six business segments, in October 2007 to pursue the project.

On Thursday, Popular Science named the 3M Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200 with Cardioscan software “Innovation of the Year.”

The stethoscope costs around $400, and the software is an additional $350.

Data from the stethoscope can help physicians decide whether to refer a patient for an echocardiogram, a heart-mapping procedure that can cost patients between $100 and $1,000 depending on their insurance plan.

The technology originated from speech-recognition software designed in the mid-1990s by Zargis’ parent company, Siemens Corporate Research, Kallassy said. Siemens and Speedus Corp. launched Zargis Medical in 2001; it is a majority-owned subsidiary of Speedus.

Read: link