Stethoscope Use, Care and Maintenance

Your Littmann stethoscope will give you many years of durable service, especially if you follow the care and maintenance tips listed below.

Stethoscope Use

  General Care
  Short vs Long Tubing
  Eartip Use
  Difference in Acoustics Among Littmann Models
  Tunable Diaphragm
  Tips for Better Acoustics

Care and Maintenance

  Cleaning your Stethoscope
  Eartip Care

Notes

None of the Littmann stethoscopes can be used during an MRI because they all contain metal. Littmann stethoscopes shown on this website do not contain natural rubber latex or dry natural rubber as components.

General Care

The tubing used in all Littmann stethoscopes is a PVC (poly vinyl chloride) tubing that becomes hard when exposed for long periods of time to the lipids found in human skin. Wearing the stethoscope around the neck may cause stiffening of the tubing over time. If worn around the neck we recommend to try not to let it come in contact with skin (wear under a collar). It is also recommended that the tubing be treated with a vinyl protector (such as Armor All™ or Son of a Gun™) once a month. This will not prevent stiffening, but may slow the process down.

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Short vs Long Tubing

Past publications have suggested that the shorter the tubing, the better the acoustic response. Laboratory testing has shown this to be true, but the average hearing person will only pick up a difference if there is an extreme increase in tubing length. In fact, based on the manner in which sound waves travel, there is a slight advantage in low-frequency sounds with longer tubing. If you remember, most heart sounds are considered to be in the lower frequency range. Length of tubing seems to be a personal preference, based on physique, and infection control issues viewed by the user.

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Eartip Use

Proper Headset Alignment

Littmann stethoscopes have headsets which have been designed to be worn at an anatomically correct angle, oriented toward the users ear canals. Improperly wearing the stethoscope headset can result in poor acoustical seal, and in some cases, complete sound blockage. Before placing the eartips in your ears, hold the stethoscope headset in front of you so that the eartubes point away from you. When the eartips are in your ears, the eartips should be pointed forward. Not everyones ear canals are the same. If after inserting the eartips in proper manner, the fit does not seem comfortable, and acoustic performance does not improve, grasp each of the eartubes, adjusting the headset for a custom fit.

Proper Fit of Eartips

It is important that the proper sized eartips be used to achieve optimal acoustical performance. This is especially true when using the soft-sealing eartips. If the soft-sealing eartip is too large for the user, the compression of that eartip while in the ear, could result in poor acoustical performance. This could also be true if the eartip is too small. Finding the correct size of the individuals ears result in the best acoustical performance.

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Difference in Acoustics Among Littmann Models

First of all, one has to realize that there are many factors that contribute to acoustic response, such as having a complete seal from the point of auscultation to the stethoscope user's ear canal. Outside factors can also contribute. We can cite our laboratory test results, but these do not include factors like ambient noise, motion artifact, and ear canal seal. Because of variables in each individual's hearing, we recommend trying the stethoscopes before purchasing. The price of the Littmann stethoscope product line correlates to the laboratory test results in acoustic response. The Master Cardiology has the best acoustic response.

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Tunable Diaphragm

Old stethoscopes cannot be retrofitted to accomodate a tunable diaphragm. Models equipped with a tunable diaphragm have an attenuating ring behind the diaphragm to make the tunable function possible. For more details on the tunable diaphragm, see the Tunable Technology page.

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Tips for Better Acoustics

Littmann stethoscopes have a reputation for quality, and superior acoustic performance. If the acoustic performance seems to be lacking, or absent, the following areas should be checked before assuming there is a problem with the stethoscope.

Proper Headset Alignment

Littmann stethoscopes have headsets which have been designed to be worn at an anatomically correct angle, oriented toward the users ear canals. Improperly wearing the stethoscope headset can result in poor acoustical seal, and in some cases, complete sound blockage. Before placing the eartips in your ears, hold the stethoscope headset in front of you so that the eartubes point away from you. When the eartips are in your ears, the eartips should be pointed forward. Not everyones ear canals are the same. If after inserting the eartips in proper manner, the fit does not seem comfortable, and acoustic performance does not improve, grasp each of the eartubes, adjusting the headset for a custom fit.

Proper Fit of Eartips

It is important that the proper sized eartips be used to achieve optimal acoustical performance. This is especially true when using the soft-sealing eartips. If the soft-sealing eartip is too large for the user, the compression of that eartip while in the ear, could result in poor acoustical performance. This could also be true if the eartip is too small. Finding the correct size of the individuals ears result in the best acoustical performance.

Obstruction

If the stethoscope is commonly carried in a pocket, or hasn't routinely been cleaned, it is possible that somewhere in the sound pathway (chestpiece, tubing headset or eartips) there is something such as lint or dirt obstructing it. Routine care and maintenance can prevent this from happening.

Complete Seal in the System

Stethoscopes rely on an airtight seal in order to transmit body sounds from the patient to the users ear. Loose parts in the chestpiece, loose tubing, or cracked tubing can prevent an airtight seal.

Indexed Chestpiece

When using a double sided stethoscope, the user needs to open, or index the bell or diaphragm by rotating the chestpiece. If the diaphragm is open, the bell will be closed, preventing sound from coming in through the bell, and vice versa.

If all these issues have been addressed and it is still difficult to hear, please send the stethoscope to the service center for repair.

Cleaning your Stethoscope

Your Littmann stethoscope will give you many years of durable service, especially if you follow the care and maintenance tips listed below.

• Do not immerse your stethoscope in any liquid or subject it to steam sterilization. If sterilization is required, the stethoscope should be gas sterilized using the cold cycle in a 3M™ Steri-Vac™ Gas Sterilizer followed by aeration for 36 hours in a 3M™ Steri-Vac™ Aeration Cabinet.
• Keep your stethoscope away from extreme heat, cold, solvents and oils.
• Eartips and plastic tubing can be wiped clean with alcohol or mild soapy water.
• Eartips may be removed from the eartubes for thorough cleaning.
• A vinyl protector, such as Armor All™ or Son of a Gun™ may be used regularly on the tubing to prolong its suppleness. (Available at most discount department stores or local automotive parts stores).

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Eartip Care

Old "screw on" eartips can be glued to your stethoscope to prevent them from falling off. You can super glue them on, or try clear nail polish. First remove the eartips. A very small amount of glue, or nail polish, can be applied to the HEADSET (not the eartips), and then reposition the eartips. Be sure that the glue is dry before inserting the eartips into your ear canal!

If you need replacement eartips, it's important to know whether your eartips are threaded or snap-tight.
     Older Littmann stethoscopes have the threaded type. In early 1994, the more secure snap-tight eartips were introduced. Threaded and snap-tight eartips are not interchangeable.
     If your stethoscope was made prior to mid-1994 , and no other repairs have been made (i.e. binaurals replacement), the eartips should be threaded. These are available in soft-sealing, firm, and hard white plastic and in both large and small sizes. If the stethoscope is newer than mid-1994, it uses the patented 3M™ Littmann™ Snap-tight Soft-sealing Eartips, which are available in large and small, soft-sealing and firm. The white plastic eartips are not available in the newer stethoscopes.
     Because of the design of the headset, snap-tight and threaded eartips are not interchangeable.