New Bluetooth stethoscope to help doctors diagnose safely

KOCHI: With social distancing becoming the new ‘normal’, medical diagnosing has become a tricky affair. Although many innovative products have hit the market as solutions, exorbitant rates have made it inaccessible to everyone. Bringing an end to the dilemma, Gireeshan MG, vice-principal of Jai Bharath College, Perumbavoor, has introduced ‘Dr’s Care,’ a bluetooth stethoscope priced below Rs 1,000. “While most electronic stethoscopes come with a mobile app, my product works on simple Bluetooth technology.

Through this technology, while the accompanying person places the bluetooth stethoscope on the concerned organ to conduct auscultation (listening to lung and chest sounds for medical diagnosis), the doctor can listen to it over a phone call from anywhere in the world. There is no need for an application. A doctor can even listen to the sound through video calls,” said Gireeshan. The product is only the size of a thumb, has a stethoscope head, a Bluetooth audio module, a transmitter and pairing device.

“When I read about doctors contracting Covid-19 while diagnosing, I thought of devising a simple solution that could help them maintain social distancing. As they wear personal protective equipment, doctors find it hard to wear the normal stethoscope.

Also, if doctors become infected, there is a high chance they will turn transmitters and spread the disease,” he said. Ever since the lockdown, many academic institutions have been producing similar products to aid the government in its fight against Covid-19. Recently, two IIT-B students, Adarsha K and Tapas Pandey, invented ‘AyuSynk’, an electronic stethoscope with an app to diagnose heart and lungsbases diseases.

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