I want a Bluetooth pre-tracheal stethoscope
Posted by Clark Venable on 2/8/2005
During my anesthesiology training, attendings encouraged me to use a pre-tracheal stethoscope--basically a metal bell that rested on the base of the patient's neck over the trachea which could be used to listen to breath sounds during general anesthesia. This usually involved a hollow tube running from the stethoscope to an earpiece in the anesthetists ear. FM transmitter were available for wireless monitoring.
I still think this is usefull, especially for cases using a laryngeal mask airway (LMA). Trouble with an LMA is usually preceded by 'crowing'--a high pitched noise caused by the passage of air over partially closed vocal cords. This can progress to frank laryngospasm, airway obstruction, and the generation of very large negative intra-thoracic pressures and negative pressure pulmonary edema.
What would the modern equivalent be like? Bluetooth transmitter. Wireless ear phone. I wonder if I can do this with my PowerBook somehow? I'd need a box to convert the sound from the stethoscope to a digital signal (and amplify it), then run it into the PowerBook. On a PowerBook with built-in bluetooth, can I send the sound-in signal out via bluetooth? Sounds like a weekend project, to me...
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