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Stethoscopes are complex yet straightforward instruments. The different stethoscope parts are optimized to offer the best acoustic capabilities.
This article will walk you through the different components that are classically found in any stethoscopes. Most of the individual components are replaceable, allowing one not to invest in a brand new instrument if one part gets damaged.
The Earpieces
The earpiece of a stethoscope is the part that is placed in the ear canal. It can be made out of rubber, plastic, or metal. The material used for this part will depend on what type of stethoscope it is and what it will be used for.
The quality of the earpiece is critical to allow a proper seal and a comfortable fit.
You and your ear tips are in a constant battle for dominance. You need an earpiece that fits appropriately and seals off your ear canal to get the best sound quality. If it doesn’t seal properly, you’ll get an echoey sound that ruins the listening experience.
Most of the stethoscopes come with different earpieces and sizes that should accommodate most of the ears.
Not everyone has the same ear canal size. Ear canals are angled slightly forwards. Choosing the right earpieces is critical. We recommend that you try several of them for comfort and isolation from the surrounding noises. You’ll know that you have a good fit because all the noise around you becomes very faint when the earpieces are inserted, allowing you.
The Eartubes
The eartubes of a stethoscope, also known as binaural tubes or acoustic tubes, are made of metal from standard alloys up to aerospace aluminum in the premium models. They will connect the earpieces to the tubing and are slightly bent forward to fit properly into the ear canals.
The Binaural Spring
The binaural spring is placed between the ear tube. This spring allows adjusting the tightness with which the stethoscope sits on the ears by pulling the ear tubes together or pushing them apart as necessary. Of course, the tension must be adjusted to achieve a proper seal, but putting too much pressure can make the stethoscope uncomfortable to use.
The Tubing
The tubing is in charge of transporting and relaying the frequencies or sounds picked up by the chestpiece and transmitting them to the rest of the system. It sends the noises to the user’s eartubes, allowing them to be heard by them. Stethoscopes are available in either a single tube or a twin-lumen tube configuration.
Double lumen stethoscopes are considered more sensitive than single lumen stethoscopes because they give a separate sound channel to each ear, allowing for a more accurate diagnosis. In addition, the nuanced qualities of heart sounds and murmurs may now be heard more clearly due to this technique.
To get the best stethoscope possible, you should look for one with thick tubing to filter out extraneous noises. Because of the thinness of the tubing, it can influence the quality of the sounds that you hear.
Nowadays, stethoscope tubing is built to tolerate skin oils and alcohol, allowing them to last longer and withstand repeated usage and cleaning procedures.
The length of the tubing is also essential. In general, it’s recommended to use tubing between 25 and 35 cm in length. If the tubing is less than 25 cm, you may be unable to auscultate the patient from a comfortable distance. However, if the tubing is longer than 35 cm, the quality of the sound may be diminished even though studies showed that the length of the tubing did not impact the clarity of the sound.
The Stem
At the end of the tubing is the stem. The stem is the portion of the stethoscope that links the chestpiece to the instrument’s tubing. It is often constructed of alloy or steel. If the chestpiece is two-sided, it allows the user to select between using the diaphragm or the bell on the stethoscope.
The Chest Piece
The chest piece of a stethoscope is the part that is placed on the patient’s chest.
It has two parts:
- the bell,
- the diaphragm.
Understanding the bell and diaphragm
The bell is used to listen to low-frequency sounds, while the diaphragm is used to listen to high-frequency sounds.
Today’s stethoscopes often contain a bell (hollow cup) and a diaphragm (plastic disk) that are composed of a metal base that is attached to the center of a plastic disk (the rim assembly.)
When the plastic disk is put against a patient’s skin or clothes, the noises generated by the patient will cause the plastic disk to vibrate. Therefore, they are responsible for creating the sounds you hear when using the stethoscope chestpiece.
Diaphragms have a wider diameter and are more sensitive to higher frequency noises, such as those produced by breathing. However, the bell is smaller and takes up low-frequency sounds, such as heart murmurs, instead of the diaphragm.
Because bells are smaller in size, they are frequently utilized to listen to the breath sounds of pediatric patients who are smaller in size.
According to specific manufacturers, patients’ comfort can be improved by using stethoscopes with diaphragms and bells made of hypoallergenic and non-chill materials.
Tunable diaphragm
According to the company’s website, tunable diaphragm technology is a 3M invention that makes auscultating a patient easier and more successful. It allows you to hear various sounds just by varying the amount of pressure you apply on the chestpiece.
What about replacement parts?
A stethoscope is an investment. With daily uses in demanding environments, it is critical to clean it regularly. Also, as we saw, stethoscopes are made of different parts that can break. Nowadays, it is not needed anymore to buy a new one in case of a tear or crack in the tubing. Buying from a reputable vendor is the best way to ensure that replacements parts will be available. Important as well is the fact of buying a reputable brand that will produce parts consistently for the years to come.
We summarize some of the most common replacement parts in the table below. They are available on Amazon.
Last update on 2022-12-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
To conclude
Advances in science and medicine have provided us with a deeper understanding of the human body than we have ever had before. Currently, we have the most advanced instruments at our disposal for making rapid and precise diagnoses of patients’ illnesses.
Despite its apparent simplicity, the stethoscope is essential for every healthcare professional’s toolset. It has lasted over time, a symbol of medical practice and medical practitioners throughout the world.
Choosing the most appropriate stethoscope for your needs might assist you in becoming the most effective medical practitioner for your patients. Both you and your patients deserve to have the best stethoscope available. A stethoscope is a long-term investment that will pay dividends for years and years to come.
