An instrument originally devised by Laennec for aid in hearing the respiratory and cardiac sounds in the chest, but now modified in various ways and used in auscultation of any of vascular or other sounds anywhere in the body. [stetho- + G. skopeo, to view]
- binaural s. a s. in which the two ear pieces connect with a single bell.
- Bowles type s. a s. in which the chest piece is a shallow metal cup about 4.5 cm in diameter, the mouth of which is covered by a hard rubber or celluloid diaphragm.
- differential s. a s. having two chest pieces so that two sounds in different parts of the chest may be heard simultaneously and compared.
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stetho·scope 'steth-ə-.skōpalso 'steth- n an instrument used to detect and study sounds produced in the body that are conveyed to the ears of the listener through rubber tubing connected with a usu. cup-shaped piece placed upon the area to be examined
stetho·scop·ic .steth-ə-'skäp-ikalso .steth- adj
stetho·scop·i·cal·ly -i-k(ə-)lē adv
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n.
an instrument used for listening to sounds within the body, such as those in the heart and lungs (see auscultation). A simple stethoscope usually consists of a diaphragm or an open bell-shaped structure (which is applied to the body) connected by rubber or plastic tubes to earpieces for the examiner. More complicated devices may contain electronic amplification systems to aid diagnosis.
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stetho·scope (stethґo-skōp) [stetho- + -scope] an instrument for performing mediate auscultation, through which respiratory, cardiac, pleural, arterial, venous, uterine, fetal, intestinal, and other internal body sounds are conveyed to the ear of the examiner; numerous different forms and sizes are available. stethoscopic adj
Stethoscope.
Medical dictionary. 2011.