MECHANISM OF STETHOSCOPE

Description of a Mechanism

I. Introduction

A. Definition

Stethoscope is an acoustic medical

device for auscultation, or listening to the
internal sounds of a human body.

B. Uses or Functions

1. It is used primarily to listen to

lungs, heart, intestinal tract.
2. It is also used to listen to blood
flow in peripheral vessels and heart
sounds of the developing fetuses in
pregnant women.
3. In combination of the sphygmomanometer, it is commonly used for
measurements of blood pressure.

C. Physical Description

Stethoscope’s parts is made of Delrin( a trademark plastic that is white, rigid,

and similar to nylon) or softer molded silicone rubber, metal ( aluminum,
chrome-plated brass, or stainless steel, a polyvinyl chloride or latex rubber and a
Bakelite, an epoxy-fiberglass compound. The standard length is from 27 inches -
28 inches. Average weight is from 90-180 grams.

D. Principal parts of the mechanism and functions of each part

 Eartips- is the part that goes

into the user’s ear where they
receive the sounds that come from
the chest-piece.
 Eartube- are designed to
isolate and transfer the sound to the
user’s ears with minimum quality
loss.
 Tubing- maintains and
transfer the frequency/ sound level
that is captured by the diaphram or
bell and send it to the eartubes
where it can take its way to the
user’s ears.
  Headset- this allows sound to flow efficiently into the ear canal so that there
is minimal disturbance from the stethoscope.
 Stem- it allows the user to switch/click between the chest-pieces and
clicking it into place via the ball bearing.
 Chest-piece- is used to listen to patient’s sounds by placing the diaphragm
or bell end of the chest-piece on the patient’s chest, back or stomach.
 Diaphragm- allows medical professional to listen a wider area of the
patient’s body and picks up higher frequency sounds than the bell half of the
chest-piece
 Bell- this side of the device focuses on a narrower range, listens for
lower-frequency sounds that may not easily be detected by the diaphragm.

II. Description of the Mechanism (in Detail)

Chestpiece
The chestpiece, also known as the head, is
the part of the stethoscope responsible for
conducting sound. This is the part placed against
a patient’s skin. Through technological
advancements, some stethoscopes can now also
conduct sounds through clothing and bandages,
and even blankets and animal fur.
A stethoscope can have a one-sided or
two-sided chestpiece, depending on the model. Some stethoscopes with one-sided
chestpieces only have diaphragms. Some have tunable or pressure-sensitive
diaphragms that can act as both a bell and a diaphragm. Those with two-sided
chestpieces, on the other hand, have a diaphragm on one side and a bell when
flipped over or rotated. This rotation allows the user to choose which side is
appropriate.
Chestpieces are usually made of metal, but there are now also acrylic head
stethoscopes which are great for blocking out ambient noise. The chestpiece is made
up of the diaphragm and/or bell, and the stem. We’ll look into those parts in more
detail below.
Diaphragm
The diaphragm is the circular end of the chestpiece.
On two-sided chestpieces, the diaphragm is the larger of
the two ends. Its larger size allows the user to listen to a
bigger area of the patient’s body. The diaphragm is
designed to pick up sounds with higher frequencies
compared to the bell. Diaphragms today are constructed
to eliminate chill against the patient’s skin and to have
better hypoallergenic properties, increasing comfort and
safety for the patients examined.
Bell
The bell is another circular end of the chestpiece.
On two-sided chestpieces, the bell is the smaller end.
Due to its smaller diameter, it has a more restricted
range that focuses on lower frequency sounds than
the diaphragm. Similar to the diaphragm, today’s
bells now come with features that provide better
comfort for patients as they’re being examined. The
smaller size of the bell makes it ideal for pediatric
patients and skinnier patients. It is also used when
dealing with bandaged areas or the carotid area.
Stem
The stem is the part that connects the
chestpiece to the stethoscope tubing. It is usually
made of metal or steel. On stethoscopes with
two-sided chestpieces, it is also the part that
allows the user to choose between the
diaphragm and the bell. This is done by simply
rotating the chestpiece and then clicking it into
place with a ball bearing. Rotating the chestpiece Stem
determines whether the diaphragm or bell
directs sound to the eartubes.

Tubing
The tubing is responsible for
transferring and relaying the frequencies or
sounds picked up by the chestpiece. It
directs the sounds to the eartubes so that
the user can hear them.
Stethoscopes often come with either a
single tube or dual lumen tube design. With
dual lumen tubing, the tubing is actually split
in half on the inside, creating two sound
channels inside one outer tube. This creates
left and right paths so that the sounds can
reach the user’s ears with the greatest
accuracy. Stethoscope tubing these days is designed to withstand skin oils and
alcohol, making them longer-lasting and able to endure constant use and cleaning.
Headset, Eartubes, And Eartips
The headset is that half of the stethoscope often
seen hanging from a healthcare professional’s neck.
The headset is composed of two eartubes, tension
springs, and eartips.
The eartubes connect the stethoscope tubing to
the eartips. They are made of metal or steel and are
designed to be at the optimal angle for the best fit
into the user’s ear canals. The eartubes isolate and
direct the sounds into left and right paths to provide
the user a clearer and more accurate listening
experience. They have ribbed ends where the eartips are then placed.
The eartips are the parts that actually go
into the ear. They are usually made of rubber or
silicone and have a hole in the middle for letting
out sound. Eartips are placed on the ends of the
eartubes to provide an acoustic seal as well as to
improve user safety. Eartips should provide a
snug but comfortable fit for the user. They often
come in different sizes to accommodate
different ears.

III. Brief Description of how the mechanism works or how it is used

A stethoscope contains a variety of important parts that allow it to listen to

and transfer the internal sounds of a patient’s body to the medical professional’s
ears so that he/she can diagnose and treat the patient’s medical condition.
The parts of the stethoscope include the eartips, eartubes, tubing, headset,
stem, chest-piece, diaphram, and bell.
The sounds that are created from the patient’s body are picked up through
the diaphragm or bell end of the stethoscope, which is pressed against the
patient’s chest, back or stomach. From the chest-piece, which houses the
diaphragm/bell the sound then travels through the tubing and into the eartubes
before being passed to the user’s ears where they can hear the patient’s
heartbeat, lungs, and other internal organs.