Profile
Settings
Refer your friends
Sign out
A stethoscope was invented by R.T.H. Laennec, a French physician, in 1819. He was t first to present the user with a pierced wooden cylinder to transfer sounds from the person/patient’s chest to the physician’s ear. Previously, this was known as a monaural stethoscope which changed to the binaural type, which has two flexible rubber tubes attached to the chest part where other metal tubes are connected by springs with earpieces. Instruments with both chest pieces to rapidly interchange by a turned valve are popular.
Parts of a Stethoscope With Their Function:
There are eight critical parts of a stethoscope. Let’s know more about its features with the uses of the stethoscope:
Chestpiece :
The most important and central part of the device is the head or the chest piece. It is mainly responsible for discovering, catching, and transmitting sounds to the headset. Depending on the model, a chest piece can be one-sided or two-sided.
Bell:
The bell is the circular end of the chest piece. Because it is small in size, it can discover low-frequency sounds and is best suited for smaller body parts. There is a non-chill ring attached to the bell’s edges.
Diaphragm:
The diaphragm is the circular, round end of the chest piece. It is comparatively larger, allowing listening to broader areas of a person/patient’s body. We can hear higher frequencies in larger areas of a person/patient.
Stem:
The stethoscope stem is what connects the chest piece to the stethoscope tubing. It is usually made of steel or metal and offers an optimal performance by ensuring a secure connection. We can also switch the diaphragm and bell.
Tubing:
The stethoscope tube is either a flexible rubber or Polyvinyl chloride material that joins the microphone and the stethoscope itself from the chest piece to the part of the upper/headset. Stethoscopes use this part to transfer sound waves collected by the bell and diaphragm to the headset without losing quality. The tubing can either be a single or a double tube design.
Ear Tubes:
The acoustic tubes and the ear tips are connected by hollow metal tubes called ear tubes and give the left and right way out for the sound to pass through. The adjusted tension spring sits between the ear tubes to fit the stethoscope properly on the ears.
Headset:
The stethoscope’s upper part is known as the headset. It consists of tension springs, two ear tubes and ear tips. This ensures that sound flows efficiently into the ear canal with minor interference.
Ear Tips:
The ear tips are either rubber or silicone and go into the ear. An opening in the middle allows the sound from the ear tubes on both ends. Ear tips must be soft and firm at the same time to seal the ears and reject any other outside sound.
Uses of the Stethoscope
Let’s see some of the uses of the stethoscope:
1. To measure the liver size
One of the exciting features of the stethoscope is measuring Liver size. A faint sound is more audible than usual in the process. The process is done by denoting two points and measuring the length.
2. To calculate blood pressure
One of the effective uses of a stethoscope is to calculate blood pressure. Physicians typically attach the blood pressure cloth to wrap it around the upper arm, placing the stethoscope below it to listen to the heartbeat at the brachial artery.
3. To determine lung and heart sounds
In the case of lung-related conditions, to discover if there is any lung inflammation because of air blockages, the identification of breathing patterns is noticed. Stethoscopes also detect heart sounds like murmurs/gallops in a heartbeat.
4. To check the recovery rate after surgery
The anaesthesia given in surgeries causes the bowels to slow down. Therefore, doctors examine the healing state of a patient using a stethoscope by listening to the stomach.
Conclusion:
The stethoscope is one of the best tools in our approach for accurately diagnosing the concerned person/patient’s conditions and giving out the medications and treatment effectively. A simple stethoscope is the most significant part of every healthcare professional’s toolkit. Therefore it is crucial to figure out the right and well-suited stethoscope to provide assistance and optimum medical care to the patients and help you provide the optimum medical professional. Over the years, healthcare professionals and physicians have benefited from its multiple applications with designated parts. As a result, this device is an important asset that will keep treating medical patients effectively.
