Doctors use stethoscopes to listen to different sounds produced by the body. The instrument is used for auscultation and it helps listen to the sounds of the heart, lungs and the intestinal tract. Using the stethoscope, it’s also possible to listen to the blood flow in peripheral vessels and the heart sounds of fetuses. There are also Littmann Stethoscopes types which you should know about. In this article, you will know the best types of Stethoscopes in 2020.
Both normal and abnormal sounds in the body can be heard using the device to do a clinical assessment of patients. The good thing is that your Littmann stethoscope classic 2 will be fit for use for humans as well as animals.
Here are five types of stethoscopes:
1. Acoustic:
Acoustic stethoscopes are most commonly used in the medical profession. Chances are, the one you have seen around the neck of the doctor must surely be of this type as they are so common. They have a chest piece with hollow tubes (that go to the ears of the listener). A diaphragm and a bell will form the two sides of the chess piece in which the former will produce low-frequency while the latter, high-frequency sounds. They are easy to use in listening to body sounds.
2. Electronic:
Electronic stethoscopes may not be that commonly used but they will definitely become the most popular in the future. Presently, they are used to select medical branches only and being costly often works against them. But yes, they deliver amazingly accurate and consistent results. They are unique because they amplify body sounds electronically. Further, they use sound waves which later take the form of electrical signals and then get amplified to deliver louder and clearer sounds.
3. Noise Reduction:
There are noise reduction stethoscopes as well that are made to cancel out most of the background noise for the better sound experience. They use a unique technology to stop the noise interfering with the auscultation experience to fetch louder and clearer sounds. They are fitted with a high-end sound sensor to get a sound experience often delivered by a top-quality cardiology stethoscope. To top it all, whatever sounds are heard can be recorded for playback at a convenient time in the future.
4. Recording:
There are recording types of stethoscopes available in the market developed to record direct audio output. It brings the feature to use a recording device and get aid in the future clinical assessment of patients. Doctors often use this instrument when they need to record the sound or audio for later examination. This type of stethoscope is very helpful in consulting patients and keeping a track of his medical health using the recorded data.
5. Fetal:
We know there are various types of stethoscopes that can help doctors listen to the sounds produced by humans as well as animals. What’s more, we have stethoscopes specially designed to listen to the heartbeat of the fetus.
These instruments are often referred to as fetal stethoscopes or fetoscope or a Pinard. It carries the shape of a very small trumpet and can be put against the abdomen of a pregnant lady to listen to the sounds. This is how doctors can assess the conditions of fetuses.
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