Gurgle, growl, lub-dub, rumble. Bodies are noisy under the skin. Thankfully, doctors are trained to distinguish healthy and not-so-healthy sounds. A life-saving tool called a stethoscope carries sound waves straight to a doctor’s ears. But new tools are life-savers too. Mini-computers make it possible to hear and see inside the body. Will doctors swap old stethoscopes with smart technology?
The word “stethoscope” is made up of two Greek words. “Stethos” means chest. “Scopos” means examiner. A stethoscope helps doctors give chest examinations. Using the tool, their ears pick up sounds that tell about a body’s health. But are stethoscopes the best instrument for the job? Cardiologist Dr. Eric Topol doesn’t think so. “There’s no reason you would listen to sounds when you can see everything,” he says. He calls stethoscopes nothing more than a pair of “rubber tubes.”
In the beginning, the stethoscope wasn’t even that. René Laennec invented the first stethoscope in the early 1800s. His invention was a hollow piece of wood about a foot long. Pressed against the chest, it helped doctors hear heart and lung sounds. Rubber tubes, earpieces, and a metal disk were added. Sound waves make the disk vibrate. The waves travel through the tubes to the earpieces.
Today, doctors can see inside the human body with hand-held mini-computers. A mini-ultrasound is pressed against the chest just like a stethoscope. But the two devices work differently. The hand-held device uses ultrasound waves, artificial intelligence, and a smartphone app to make a video of the organs. Doctors can hear AND see problems.
Soon medical school students will be trained to use hand-held ultrasound devices. Does that mean it’s time to trade in the stethoscopes? Not yet. New technology is pricey. Until the cost comes down, pediatrician Dr. Dave Drelicharz thinks a stethoscope is the best tool. Dr. Paul Wallach agrees. He thinks new doctors will wear, “a stethoscope around the neck and an ultrasound in the pocket.”
Jesus is the great physician. He sees what no one can see inside our hearts. He came to heal our brokenness.
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. — Luke 5:31
