Stethoscope Case Study

Stethoscope functionality generally has not changed over the past few decades evolving from the monaural hollowed out wooden tube first invented in the early 1800’s by Rene Laennec to the more familiar long multi tubular version, improved upon by George Cammann 50 years later, we so typically see today. The core components of a modern stethoscope are comprised of ear tips, binaural piece, tubing and a diaphragm with a bell on the back. The bell transmits low frequency waves all the way up to the ear pieces, while the diaphragm is designed to carry the higher frequency sound. The two fathers of the stethoscope left little room for improvement on the near perfect design for just over a century until a Harvard Medical School professor by the name of David Littmann turned the simple listening device into the versatile diagnostic tool resting around almost every health care professional’s neck today.

Many top tier lists have the brand mentioned in at least one position and some have even had more than half of their spots taken over by their many variations of the stethoscope. There is no perfect product out there, especially in a field as diverse as the medical industry, and each piece of equipment brings their own special feature so it really comes down to what one is looking for in the product. As with any market, there is usually always at least one product that shines out above the rest, often having two rival products battling it out for top spot. However in the stethoscope industry, it is hard to find a product to rival the quality of the Littmann line of products. The Littmann Cardiology III stethoscope is often thought to be one of the best stethoscopes money can buy, but at a premium price of nearly $200, what exactly are you spending your money on for that kind of