Can I Shorten My Littman Stethoscope Tubing?

According to 3M, the manufacturer of Littman stethoscopes, Dr. David Littman, a cardiologist from Harvard Medical School, designed a stethoscope with better acoustics in 1963. Since then 3M has manufactured a large variety of Littman scopes according to specialties, including acoustic and electronic.

Tube Lengths

• The classic infant scope is 28 inches long; the master cardiology scope comes in sizes of 22 inches and 27 inches long. Tube length measurement includes the distance between the top of the ear tips and bottom of chest piece.

Preference

• Preference in length varies among medical professionals. Longer lengths keep more distance between a sick patient and the health professional. Reasons for shortening a tube length are more personal than medical.

Sound vs. Length

• Testing was conducted on various Littman stethoscopes by the 3M Company to document if tube length affected acoustic performance. Past publications by other manufacturers had reported shorter tube lengths were better and encouraged students to shorten the tubing on their stethoscopes. Tube length did not affect acoustic function, according to test results.