STETHOSCOPE 1

Student`s Name
Institution`s Name
Date of Submission
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Introduction
Stethoscope is among the basic instrument in the diagnosing health problems to help in the
process of treatment. It comprises of the small disc-shapes resonator that is always placed
against the skin, with the two tubes linked to the two earpieces (PM, 2018). The stethoscope
is used to listening to the sounds from the heart, intestines and the lungs and also the veins. It
is an instrument that was invented in 1816 by Rene Laennec and during that time it was made
up of a wooden tube and was also monaural. The reason the stethoscope was invented was to
make it easy when listening to the patient`s ears, chest and heart.

Over the years, the stethoscope improves drastically, and it is believed that the stethoscope
invention presents a significant chance in disease redefinition from being a bundle of
symptoms to the current state (Permin & Svend, 2019). There were also several adjustments
that were made in the structure of the Stethoscope and in the 1960s, David Littman a Harvard
professor came up with a new stethoscope that was lighter compared to the previous makes,
and this is the Stethoscope that have been adopted to the current years in the medical
industry. There are different types of stethoscopes which include acoustic that operates on
the sound transmission from the chest piece through the hollow tubes to the eras of the
listeners. They are made up of two sides that are places against the patient. The other type is
the electronic stethoscope which words through amplifying the sounds of the body (Permin &
Svend, 2019). They work by converting the acoustic sound waves to electrical signals that
can be amplifies and later processed for listening.
Description of the Parts and their Functions
The main parts of a stethoscope include the chest-piece, diaphragm, stem, tubing, ear tips and
the headset as indicated in the following diagram (PM, 2018).
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 The chest piece /head is responsible for conducing sound. It is the part that is places
on the patient`s skin, to receive the sounds. It also detects, capture and transfer sounds
to the headset and it has the diaphragm, bell and the step.
 The diaphragm is round and circular end which is big in size to allow the medical
practitioner to listen to a wide body area. It helps in detecting sounds that have higher
frequencies and it is designed to reduce the chill when placed on the patient`s skin.
 Bell is the circular end of the chest piece. It is small in size hence helping in the
detection of low frequency sounds compared to the diaphragm. There is also the non-
chill ring which is at the end of the bell edge (PM, 2018).
 The stem is the parts linking the chest-piece to the stethoscope tubing which is made
from metal. The stem ensures there is a safe link for optimal performance hence
allowing one operate between the diaphragm and the bell.
 The tubing is the flexible rubber linking the chest-piece and the headset. The prime
role is to transfer the sounds waves that are picked by the diaphragm and bell to the
headset with low quality loss (PM, 2018).
 The headset is the upper half of the stethoscope comprising of two ear tubes, the
tension springs at the end the ear tips. It is important in the flow of sound to the ear
canal making sure there is reduced disturbances.
 The ear tubes allow the metal tubes that link the acoustic tubes and the ear-tips
providing the left and the right ways for the sound to pass through. This creates
tension in the spring rests in between the ear tubes helping one to adjust the
stethoscope. The tubes are thin compared to the diaphragm hence helps in magnifying
the sounds producing multiple reflection. As the sound is transmitted through the
tubes, it bounces to the hollow walls of the tubes and it is directed to the earpieces.
 The ear tip is the part that enters into the ear and it is made of rubber. It is located on
the end of the ear tubes and contains a hole in the middle that lets the sound out. The
ear tips need to be soft in order to create a seal in the ears to avoid sound from
flowing out of the ear (Permin & Svend, 2019).

Operating Cycle
When a doctor places a stethoscope on the patient`s ski, the sound waves that travel through
the body of the patient causes the surface of the diaphragm to vibrate. As it vibrates, the
vibrations travel the disc shaped in the stethoscope tube amplify sounds from the patient`s
lungs, heart and the external part of the body making it loud (PM, 2018). These sounds then
travel up the stethoscope tube direct to the earpieces that the doctors listen to understand the
meaning of the sounds. The sounds move up the bell to the hollow tube splitting into two and
then the sound is heard through the hollow ear pieces (Permin & Svend, 2019).
Conclusion
The stethoscope is a medical device that enables the physicians to listen to the internal organs
of the body through listening to vibrations. It is an instrument that have made diagnosis easy
as the doctors are capable of using the sounds to determine the problem in the body. It is an
instrument that was invented as early as 18th century, but with the increasing technology, it
has undergone tremendous changes, to the extent that the current stethoscope improved and
performs several roles which has improved medical delivery in the society.
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References

Permin, H., & Svend, N. (2019). Stethoscope - Over 200 years. Journal of Pulmonology and
Respiratory Research, 1-89.
PM. (2018). Stethoscope. Presitige Medical, 1-16.