Medical Design and Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech

Improved Stethoscope Tech Helps Clinicians Perceive Hard-to-Hear Sounds

March 21, 2016 By Business Wire

The millions of physicians and nurses around the globe who use stethoscopes every day as a first-line diagnostic instrument have a new tool in their arsenal. 3M Littmann Stethoscopes is proud to introduce the new Cardiology IV stethoscope, engineered to help clinicians better perceive hard-to-hear sounds in the body, such as the high-frequency sound of aortic regurgitation grade 2 heart murmur at 48 dB(A). This is comparable to the high-frequency buzz of bee wings at a similarly quiet 42 dB(A).

“Sometimes the quietest sounds are the most critical, especially inside the human body,” said Steve Swenson, Global Business Director for 3M Littmann Stethoscopes. “The improved acoustic performance of the Cardiology IV stethoscope is yet another example of 3M’s commitment to enhancing auscultation technology to help clinicians arrive at precise diagnoses, quickly.”

The Cardiology IV stethoscope has tunable diaphragms on both sides of the chestpiece, allowing users to hear different frequency sounds by simply changing the amount of pressure applied to the chestpiece. The versatile chestpiece features pediatric and adult sides. The single-piece diaphragms have a crevice-free surface that offers easy cleaning. The stethoscope’s dual-lumen tubing eliminates rubbing noises that traditional double tubes create. The next-generation tubing also lasts longer and resists stains. Finally, snap-tight, soft-sealing ear tips form an acoustic seal that helps shut out external noises.

American College of Cardiology (ACC) President, Kim Allan Williams Sr., MD, FACC, recently highlighted the critical role of the stethoscope in arriving at accurate diagnoses, and stressed the importance of clinician education in a blog post. Dr. Williams wrote: “…basic auscultation skills – the ability to listen to and interpret sounds from the heart – are important skills for physicians to develop and maintain, even as new technologies provide complementary information. Learning to correctly interpret heart sounds reinforces the understanding of normal and abnormal physiology. The fact that doctors are failing to obtain and maintain this skill is something we should work to improve.”

3M agrees. “Stethoscopes are a cost-effective first-line diagnostic tool that’s in harmony with the future of consumer-driven healthcare,” Swenson said. “But, clinicians need to know how to use the stethoscope properly and what to listen for. With 2016 marking the stethoscope’s 200th anniversary, it’s a good time to remind clinicians to maintain their auscultation skills. 3M provides auscultation training, including a new mobile app that’s available for free to Littmann brand customers.” He added that, with the 3M Littmann Learning Institute App from the 3M Health Care Academy, you can listen to real heart and lung sounds, test your knowledge and develop diagnostic skills using patient scenarios.

Related Articles Read More >

Dexcom One
How Dexcom’s portfolio goes beyond highly-anticipated next-gen G7
A portrait of Stryker executive Siddarth Satish
How Stryker includes users for product design in the digital age
A Medtronic HVAD pump opened up to show the inner workings
Medtronic investigates HVAD pump welds after patient deaths
Galien Foundation 2022 nominees
18 of the world’s most innovative medical technologies

DeviceTalks Weekly.

May 13, 2022
Our Pre-Post-DeviceTalks Boston episode, also MedtronicTalks replay with Gastro CMO Austin Chiang
See More >

MDO Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Subscribe to Medical Design & Outsourcing. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading medical design engineering magazine today.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
DeviceTalks

DeviceTalks is a conversation among medical technology leaders. It's events, podcasts, webinars and one-on-one exchanges of ideas & insights.

DeviceTalks

New MedTech Resource

Medical Tubing

Enewsletter Subscriptions

Enewsletter Subscriptions

MassDevice

Mass Device

The Medical Device Business Journal. MassDevice is the leading medical device news business journal telling the stories of the devices that save lives.

Visit Website
MDO ad
Medical Design and Outsourcing
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • MedTech 100 Index
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • R&D World
  • About Us/Contact
  • Advertise With Us
  • Subscribe to Print Magazine
  • Subscribe to E-newsletter
  • Attend our Monthly Webinars
  • Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
  • Join our DeviceTalks Tuesdays Discussion

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech