Ultrascope

It's a lot of people's first question! No, the Ultrascope Acoustic Globe is made of super dense acrylic and is resistant to drops, being slammed in doors, chewed by dogs, etc!

Acrylic does not conduct the sound vibrations from ambient noise in your environment the same way that a metal-headed stethoscope might offering you a clearer, more isolated listening experience.

A pressure-sensitive, tunable diaphragm offers the full range of frequency detection that a dual-sided stethscope would with much more flexibility. Adjusting the pressure applied to the Acoustic Globe and the patient will target different frequencies.

The Adult-sized head will be sufficient for most patients, both people and animals. We offer two sizes as the Adult diaphragm may be too large in diameter for the smallest patients. A pressure-sensitive diaphragm needs to seal against the patient's body to function properly. We typically recommend the Pediatric for infants, the smallest toddlers, small exotics, and small puppies and kittens. That being said, many professionals find that they are able to use an Adult size just fine. An Adult diaphragm has a diameter of approximately 1.75" (~43mm) and the Pediatric a diameter of approximately 1.25" (~32mm).

Yes, we do! Both for individual orders and for quantities. Please go to the Custom Designs page to find more information and contact us.

Personalized engravings are made on the flat crown on top of the Ultrascope Acoustic Globe. The crown is approximately 1.25" (32mm) in diameter. We are able to safely engrave around 1" (25.4mm) in diameter within that space.

No, only electronic stethoscopes can amplify the sound coming from the chestpiece. Acoustic stethoscopes like the Ultrascope and other non-electronic stethoscopes do not provide amplification. Ultrascopes, however, do offer more passive noise-reduction due to the acrylic bell not conducting ambient sound vibrations like a metal-headed stethoscope. This is not to be confused with active noise-cancellation found in headphones and some electronic stethoscopes. You may see claims that an analog, acoustic stethoscope is amplifying the sound but this is a misnomer and misuse of the wording.

The Single model tubing & binaural set is approximately 30" (762mm) in total from ear tips to the end of the tubing. Of that, the flexible hose portion of the set is approximately 18" (457.2mm). An Extended model's removeable extension will add approximately 20" to the Ultrascope.

Ultrascope tubing is made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and not natural rubber latex. In the interest of transparency and clarity regarding what we are stating versus what other stethoscope manufacturers may claim, we are including further information paraphrased directly from the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA’s medical device regulations require certain labeling statements on medical devices if the device or packaging is made of natural rubber latex. There are currently no regulations requiring a company to make any labeling statements when natural rubber latex is not used as a material in the manufacturing of a medical product. Some manufacturers include such labeling statements as “latex-free” or “does not contain latex” in their labeling which are not specific about the type of latex involved and can cause confusion. The FDA believes that these labeling statements are not sufficiently specific, not necessarily scientifically accurate and may be misunderstood or applied too widely. Therefore, it is inappropriate to include such statements in medical product labeling.

The crucial point is that not all types of latex are derived from natural rubber and contain the proteins responsible for natural rubber latex allergy. Products containing nitrile and polyvinyl chloride are made of synthetic latex that does not contain those proteins and will not cause a latex allergy. However, this does not account for the potential for accidental contamination of the medical product with natural rubber latex allergens during manufacturing, storage, or packaging. While we don’t believe that our products are ever contaminated with the allergens during either the manufacturing or packing/shipping process, we cannot say unequivocally that they haven’t been.

Below, we have linked the FDA's guidance on labeling products as "Latex-Free". Please reach out to us if you have any further questions.

Recommendations for Labeling Medical Products to Inform Users that the Product or Product Container is not Made with Natural Rubber Latex

It is possible, but we cannot gurantee that the interior diameter of our tubing will hold onto another brand's chestpiece.

The same is true for trying to attach a Ultrascope head to another brand of tubing.

Tubing made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) will inevitably harden from contact with the lipids in your skin over a long period of time however different skincare products, shampoos, and conditioners can accelerate hardening. Ultimately, we are talking about a span of years and a tubing set should last you close to a decade in regards to becoming stiff.

No, both lines use the same head geometry and parts. The only difference is the Maxiscope head is made of an opaque, unpolished (read: somewhere between matte and satin finish) type of acrylic.

The Diaphragm is held in place by the metal Retaining Ring which screws onto the threaded base of the acrylic head. For best results, hold the head upside down, place the Retaining Ring on the base, and lightly turn without applying any pressure until you feel the ring grab the threads. This helps ensure the ring won't jump threads and not hold itself in place.

99% of the time the issue is going to be that the Retaining Ring has either warped or worn down and not the acrylic bell. We know it sounds weird but we've been building Ultrascopes this way for decades. You might think the head looks "stripped" but that appearance is due to the head having very fine threads coupled with a frosted acrylic texture. You can request a new Diaphragm and Retaining Ring through the Lifetime Warranty page.

First of all, the Push-On Ear Tips are black and softer whereas the Screw-On Ear Tips are grey and firmer. Second, if you look at the bare binaurals of your tubing set, you will see either threads or ridges which are both more-or-less flush with the diameter of the binaurals. Models with a ridged binaural tip were a type we transitioned to for a few years. We have since switched back to a threaded binaural for versatility. Push-On Ear Tips will fit over threaded binaurals but Screw-On Ear Tips will not fit on ridged binaurals.

If you are seeing a larger, ridged piece on the end, that is the internal cap of the Screw-On Ear Tip and you've only pulled off the grey PVC cover. If you cannot get a good grip on this piece to unscrew it, you can use a pair of pliers on a jar gripper to break the seal.

Yes, you can change the rotational angle of the binaurals by firmly but carefully trying to twist them in their seats within the tubing. The movement is mostly imperceptible in your hands but not in the ears. To restore both side to an equal angle, lightly grasp a binaural in each hand and rock them forward and backwards in opposing directions (like an elliptical exercise machine) and they will line themselves up.

Yes, streching out or pushing together the binaurals will change the shape of the spring. It may take a few tries to get it to hold.

It's easy: just yank it out! It may take a firmer pull that you think, especially on newer tubing sets.

This is a longer answer but we are going to run all the bases on troubleshooting your Ultrascope.

First of all, have you checked to make sure the silver Retaining Ring holding the Diaphragm on the bottom of the acrylic head is screwed on all the way? Sometimes, it can get rattled loose during shipping and it can naturally loosen through use over time; if the Diaphragm itself isn't held tightly against the head like a drum, then it can't resonate.

Following that, the most fundamental part of using a pressure-sensitive diaphragm such as an Ultrascope is that you need to hold the head firmly against yourself or the patient's body so that the diaphragm on the underside is making a flat seal. Simply grasping the stem of the head or not applying even light pressure won't allow the diaphragm to translate the sound through the stethoscope. To adjust the frequency the head picks up, you would modulate the pressure you apply to the bell.

Lastly, when you're holding the Ultrascope and about to use it, are the metal Binaurals and the Ear Tips pointing forward towards your face? If the Binaurals are turned around, then the Ear Tips won't seat in your ear canals properly. Some people though, because of the shape of their ear canals find that it works better backwards FYI. If these steps do not improve your experience, please contact us through the form at the bottom of the page and we will help you diagnose the issue!