David Littmann

David Littman ( born July 28, 1906 in Chelsea, † 1981) was an American cardiologist German - Jewish descent and was known around the world by inventing a stethoscope named after him.

Life

Littmann holds a degree in internal medicine at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, USA, where he graduated in 1929. His residency, he completed at Boston City Hospital ( 1929-1931 ). He then practiced at Harrisburg Hospital and at the Veterans Administration Hospital, West Roxbury. He was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. After that, he worked for ten years in private practice and served during World War 2 in the medical corps of the U.S. Army before he became a professor in cardiology at Harvard Medical School.

Invention of the stethoscope combination

The name Littmann is known worldwide in the medical field through which he developed stethoscopes. His " Ideal stethoscope " he described his colleagues in 1961 in the November issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

His invention of the " stethoscope combination " consists of a dual-head chest piece with a funnel on one side and a diaphragm on the other side. This can be since then listen to high - and low-frequency sounds better. 1963 he announced his development for a patent.

Littmann founded together with Gus Machlup the company Cardio Sonics for the distribution of stethoscopes, initially was offered only a nurse and a medical stethoscope. In April 1967 3M Littmann's company took over and kept the founders as advisors. 3M stethoscopes produced to date under the name 3M ​​Littmann.