Cheap, 3D-Printed Stethoscope Challenges Top-of-the-Line Model

mask.of.sanity writes: Tarek Loubani, an emergency physician working in the Gaza strip, has 3D-printed a 30-cent stethoscope that beats the world's best $200 equivalent as part of a project to bottom-out the cost of medical devices. Loubani together with a team of medical and technology specialists designed the stethoscope and tested it against global standard benchmarks, finding it out performed the gold-standard Littmann Cardiology 3. They now intend to make a range of ultra-low cost medical devices for the developing world.

It cost about US$10,000 to develop, and has been released as an open source model for anyone to use. Loubani says the project is following the footsteps of the free software movement and aims to replace expensive proprietary solutions. He hopes that within 25 years the devices will be common-place in the Third World, and be the "Apache of the medical world."

Comments

Re:Do doctors still use them?

[jhol13]

Reminds me of my electronic tyre pressure gauge. It was extremely good - as a random number generator. Moved back to analog.

Re:Profits.

[gstoddart]

Ummm.... Feel free to travel to a developing nations for 'better medical care' then. If you dare.

Better than the doctor not having a stethoscope, moron.

The Glia project was born sometime after the 2012 Israeli incursions into Gaza, where Loubani and his medical colleagues were in short supply of the life-saving equipment and forced to listen to the heartbeats of scores of wounded Gazans with ears placed on chests.

Honestly, use your brain.

Re:Do doctors still use them?

[show me altoids]

Actually, a stethoscope is used with a normal sphygmomanometer to check blood pressure.

You are technically correct, which as we all know is the best kind of correct.