Stethoscope parts are very important to support the work of stethoscope. Basically, a stethoscope consists of six basic parts that include ear tips, ear tubes, tubing, chestpiece, chill ring, and diaphragm. If one of the stethoscope parts is damaged, the stethoscope cannot work perfectly. So, you must replace the part individually without having to purchase a new stethoscope.
With quality stethoscope parts, a stethoscope can be very useful to help doctor and medical professionals in listening to hearts, lungs and bowels and also to help take blood pressure. The stethoscope parts are specially designed to provide comfort for the user, for the patient, and it is useful to efficiently hear the internal body sounds in the heart, lungs, and other areas. Actually the parts and accessories are equally important for the work of stethoscope.
Today you can find many options of stethoscope model which can be used depending on the area of medicine you practice. There are available stethoscopes that designed for general, cardiac, pediatric, and lung doctor. The shape and the size of the stethoscope head are also varied for each category. The stethoscope parts are also appropriately made based on the model and the size of the stethoscope.
For getting more understanding on stethoscope parts, these are going to deliver some explanation about each stethoscope part. Each part has important role that can support the function of stethoscope effectively.
The first part of stethoscope is called ear tips. The ear tips are designed to fit the user’s ears. The ear tips must be positioned in the ear canal facing forward in order to maximize the user’s ability in hearing the sound. Generally, these kinds of stethoscope parts are generally made of rubber or plastic. The rubber ear tips are able to block the external noises more efficiently since they conform to the shape of the user’s ears. On the other hand, plastic ear tips must angle forward for blocking the external noise. The rubber ear tips slip over the ends of the ear tubes, while the plastic ear tips screw on.
The second part of stethoscope is called ear tubes. The ear tubes are known as hollow metal tubes which connect the ear tips to the flexible tubing on the stethoscope. These kinds of stethoscope parts are adjustable and these allow you to angle the ear tips so that they can fit snugly into the user’s ears. So, the eartubes and eartips work together to provide comfort for the use of stethoscope in the user’s ear.
The third part of stethoscope is known as tubing. Stethoscope tubing is usually made of PVC, neoprene or some other flexible material. So, this can increase the performance tubing which leads to get clear sound transmission. The tubing can vary on each model. If the stethoscope has extra-thick tubing, then the outside noise is reduced. This kind of stethoscope parts can be found in a 21-inch single bore flexible tubing or 19-inch two-in-one bi-lumen tubing. Choosing this part with the right size can help you obtain high performance tubing.
The fourth part of stethoscope is the chestpiece or stethoscope head. This kind of stethoscope parts is the metal end which is placed on the chest to listen to the heart and lungs. You can find that the chestpiece is available for adult and pediatric. The adult stethoscope chestpiece is 45mm, while the pediatric stethoscope chestpiece is 35mm. The chespiece can be single-sided or two-sided. The traditional two-sided chestpieces can rotate on the end pf the flexible tubing so that either side can be positioned on the patient’s skin.
The next part of stethoscope is called chill ring. This kind of stethoscope parts is known as a thin ring which holds the head in place and it provides protection to the patient’s skin when the head is against it. This ring functions to hold the removable diaphragm in place. The chill ring can be screwed off for removing the diaphragm.
The last part is called diaphragm. This is a kind of stethoscope parts which is located against the patient’s skin. Diaphragm comes in two types. The first type is made from the transparent hard plastic material which is held next to the chestpiece by the chill ring. The second type is made from the soft flexible material which stretches over the chestpiece like a cover. The floating diaphragm on the stethoscope can increase frequency response range.