Sandra Wallace Essays - Medicine, Medical Equipment,

Sandra Wallace Description of a standard stethoscope "A stethoscope is an acoustic medical device used for listening to the internal sounds of the human or animal body. It typically has a small disc-shaped resonator that is placed against the chest and two tubes hooked to earpieces. Although this devise is most commonly used to listen to the heart and lungs, it can also be used to listen to the bl ood flow in arteries and veins." (Anatomy of a Stethoscope) This device has come a long way since the original wooden, funnel shaped instrument that was invented by French physician Rene Laennec in 1819. Because he felt uncomfortable putting his ear up to the chest of women, he felt this instrument was necessary. Stethoscopes are roughly 24 inches long and weigh about 5 ounces. When pressed against the body this instrument is made up of metal an d rubber to amplify the body's i nternal sounds. The stethoscope is made up of five important pieces. 1. The tunable diaphragm (chest piece) 2. Stem 3. Tubing 4. Ear tube 5. Ear tip (Headset). 1240971269966 According to "mystethoscope.com", the leading retailer of stethoscopes, these are how the 5 pieces of the stethoscope are used: The tunable diaphragm : " A double-sided chestpiece rotates to alternate between the two sides. The flatter, diaphragm side is used for listening to high frequency sounds. The cup-shaped, bell side is used for hearing low pitched sounds. " Stem : "The stem connects the stethoscope tubing to the chestpiece " Tubing : "The tubing transmits sound from the chestpiece to the earpieces. Tubing can be made from neoprene, PVC, or other materials." Ear tube : " Metal portion of the stethoscope onto which the tubing and ear tips are fitted. Some binaural s rotate to help the user achieve a more comfortable fit. " Ear tip : " Allows sound to be heard by the user. When placing the ear tips in the ear canal they should be facing in a forward position " Work Cited Anatomy of a Stethoscope." Anatomy of a Stethoscope, http://www.littmann.com/3m/en_us/littmann-stethoscopes/education-center/how-to-choose/anatomy/ . "Stethoscope FAQ." Stethoscope Help, www.mystethoscope.com/stethoscope-faq.html .