A stethoscope draped across a doctor's chest is as classic an image of medicine, Newsmax Health reports.

But the stethoscope is an old-fashioned device that has outlived its usefulness and should be replaced in the very near future, a pair of prominent New York City cardiologists contends.

Doctors of the future will tote a small ultrasound device around in their pocket and use it to peek at a person's internal organs, rather than listening to the organs with a stethoscope, Dr. Jagat Narula, associate dean for global affairs at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and editor-in-chief of the journal Global Heart, wrote with his Mount Sinai colleague Dr. Bret Nelson.

The stethoscope dates back to 1816.

Ultrasound technology came along in the 1950s, and has gotten more portable and more accurate over time, Narula pointed out. Doctors can now purchase a device not much larger than a deck of cards, with the technology and screen of modern smartphones, for between $8,000 and $10,000.

Ultrasound allows a doctor to actually see a patient's organs, rather than listening to them for clues of illness, he explained. This will reduce the need for unnecessary testing, he argued, as doctors will be able to see for themselves rather than sending a patient for a follow-up CT scan or MRI.