Taking the stethoscope into the 21st century, 3M offers the 3M™ Littmann® Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200, a next-generation auscultation device featuring Bluetooth technology that wirelessly transfers heart, lung and other body sounds to software for further analysis.

"The electronic stethoscopes in the Littmann brand of products not only provide enhanced sound quality but also reduce ambient noise, helping the clinician make an assessment with confidence."

"For almost 50 years, the Littmann brand has been synonymous with quality and innovation in stethoscopes," said Warren Wasescha, new products marketing manager, 3M Health Care. "The introduction of the Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200 signals a new age in stethoscope technology that will help enhance clinicians' natural abilities, and enable healthcare providers to confirm diagnoses and more easily gather a second opinion from colleagues."
The company partnered with Connecticut-based Zargis Medical to develop two companion software packages exclusively for the Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200. Specifically:

* Zargis® Cardioscan™ software easily pairs with the Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200 to guide the clinician through four main cardiac sites, then after approximately one minute, indicates whether or not the patient possesses a suspected diastolic or systolic murmur-and whether or not the murmur is suspected to be a Class I indication for echocardiography referral.

* Zargis StethAssist™ software, included with the Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200, allows clinicians to visualize heart, lung and other body sounds, play recordings at slow speeds to hear more clearly, and save recordings for comparison to future auscultations.

* StethAssist and Cardioscan recordings and related patient notes are stored electronically and can also be sent to colleagues for a second opinion.

"The combination of the Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200 and the Zargis Cardioscan diagnostic support software arms clinicians with a valuable tool that provides results during the patient exam," said Joseph Tartaglia, MD, a practicing cardiologist in White Plains, New York, and clinical assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. "The ability to record and automatically analyze heart sounds can help improve a clinician's confidence, document complex auscultations, and may keep some patients from going through additional, unnecessary testing."

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