Sounds can tell stories and bring back memories.
Remember how Adele singing on full volume through your headphones eased your broken heart? And anyone who has ever been on a soul-searching, solo vacation at a beach knows how the sound of waves can calm the mind.
But sound has a more practical use on the side of science. Scientists can use it to measure distance, for instance. Doctors use their stethoscope to listen to the sounds inside your body, so that they can make valid, medical diagnoses.
Sound is a tool.
This is the idea behind the Stemoscope, a trailblazing healthcare device that allows a user to detect a wide range of sounds. Think of it like a stethoscope, but a more compact, and handy version.
The device, which is no bigger than a stethoscope’s head (38 mm in diameter, 11 mm thick), can be used by doctors for distance auscultations. It transmits the sounds to a smartphone, which then processes, amplifies, and sends the sounds to the doctor’s Bluetooth earphones or wired earphones in real-time.
While doctors still prefer to use the classic stethoscope, a Stemoscope can be a good supplement, most especially during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed the lives of many.
“As doctors, we felt the urgent need to innovate. So many of our healthcare workers have lost their lives to the pandemic,” laments Dr. Jastisse “Jast” Arnaldo T. Tejada III, a cardiologist and the General Manager of SGMC Medical Equipment Importer Marketing and Services, the company that brought the Stemoscope technology into the country.
“We needed to keep our doctors safe by improving the doctor’s primary weapon, the stethoscope, but without compromising the quality of care that we give our patients. Stemoscope was the solution.”
The best thing about Stemoscope is that it’s designed for distance auscultation, which ultimately minimizes a doctor’s risk of exposure to a possible COVID-19 positive patient.
“Healthcare workers can now assess a patient from a safe distance of two meters,” says Dr. Jast. “Imagine the smallest stethoscope in the world with very huge features. It’s so compact you can put it inside your purse or pocket, like a Dr. James Bond!”
The nifty part is that the sounds that the app detects can be recorded and saved on your smartphone. This is especially useful for immunocompromised individuals who need to go to the hospital for regular checkups.
“Patients can send their recorded auscultations to their doctors via email, Viber or Messenger app, from anywhere in the Philippines. This way, they’re also helping stop the spread of COVID-19 because they’re staying right at home.”
Ultimately, Stemoscope is meant for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. A professor, for instance, may use it as an educational tool in subjects where auscultatory sounds are relevant.
Numerous local physicians have given Stemoscope their seal of approval, including doctors who have been directly dealing with COVID-19 positive patients at the Philippine General Hospital.
Stemoscope is now available in Lazada. For more information about the product, visit their Facebook page Stemoscope Ph, or their website stemoscope.com.ph.