How to Use Bluetooth Stethoscopes for Wireless Auscultation

Step-by-step on using Bluetooth stethoscopes for wireless auscultation

1. Eko CORE Digital Attachment: Connect your existing stethoscope's chestpiece to the CORE Digital Attachment. Find detailed assembly instructions here.
2. 3M™ Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscope: The 3M Littmann CORE Stethoscope provides wireless functionality utilizing Bluetooth technology. We do not recommend removing the earpieces.
3. Open the free Eko App and pair your Eko stethoscope. You can see that both the CORE and DUO can communicate sounds via Bluetooth to the app without the earpiece and tubing.
4. Connect your headphones to your smartphone or tablet.
5. Access your settings panel of the Eko App and toggle on the labeled ‘Play from iPhone’ or ‘Play from Phone’ button. This enables wireless auscultations to pass through your phone to headphones.
6. Perform wireless auscultation.  Eko stethoscopes can be covered with a glove, ultrasound probe cover, or stethoscope sleeve.

Shop wireless stethoscopes →

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Bluetooth headphone compatibility guide

We've heard from our community of frontline providers that we need to provide a longer list of Bluetooth headphones that are compatible with the Eko CORE and DUO for wireless auscultation. With there being a limitless amount of headphones, we started with the most poplar brands and models. This is an ongoing project and here is our first batch of headphone results.

If you have had success with a different brand and model of headphone, please email us at support@ekohealth.com or message us on Facebook or Instagram with your: Phone Model, Headphone Brand and Headphone Model. We'll add your findings to this list.

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Headphone tips and tricks for wireless auscultation

Here are a few tips for successful wireless auscultation using Bluetooth headphones with the Eko CORE and DUO:

• Start with the volume turned up to the highest setting and adjust from there.
• Make sure that your headphones have a solid and secure ear fit. See your headphone packaging for instructions.
• Enable the active noise cancellation (CORE-only). Not required for DUO.
• Bluetooth ranges anywhere from 6-25 feet depending on the brand and model of the headphone. For the best performance, have minimal obstruction between you and the patient. As soon as you hear crackling or see "weak bluetooth signal" on the Eko App, move a bit closer or adjust your environment.
• Before bringing wireless auscultation into your workflow, test at home with a friend, roommate or family member to ensure your setup is reliable.‍

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‍Why use a wireless stethoscope

Advancements in Bluetooth technology has made it possible for stethoscopes to go wireless so clinicians can auscultate patients without listening through traditional stethoscope earpieces. There are important advantages to wireless auscultation that help clinicians in different settings:

• To help protect healthcare providers from infectious pathogens, wireless stethoscopes enable clinicians to evaluate patients from a greater distance and keep the stethoscope components behind personal protective equipment (PPE) to help protect themselves.
• Clinicians with hearing loss can use wireless stethoscopes to pair with their Bluetooth enabled hearing aids, cochlear implants, or other listening devices.
• Wireless stethoscopes support telemedicine live streaming, where clinicians can share auscultations anywhere in the world in real-time.
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How wireless stethoscopes work

Eko stethoscopes use Bluetooth to pair with smartphones and tablets through the Eko App (available on iOS and Android). Through the Eko App, clinicians can listen to, visualize, and share auscultations of the same quality as if they were listening directly through stethoscope earpieces. For best sound quality, we recommend that you plug in or pair wireless headphones to your phone to listen to auscultations. With wireless stethoscope technology, clinicians can place a stethoscope chestpiece on a patient, and then the sound will travel through the Eko app to headphones.

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When to use a wireless stethoscope‍‍

• ‍Protection from Infectious Pathogens: As healthcare workers, emergency departments and ICUs across the country unite together in response to COVID-19, wireless stethoscopes can help to reduce personal exposure while powering a clear listening experience.

• In-Hospital/ICU: Wireless stethoscopes unshackle auscultation from your ears by digitizing and transmitting patient sounds to wherever the healthcare worker needs to be. Frontline providers can listen to patient heart and lung sounds from a safe distance. Clinicians wearing isolation gowns or face shields can auscultate using a wireless stethoscope, a Bluetooth transmitter such as a mobile app and wireless or wired headphones without having to expose themselves to pathogens.
• Telemedicine: Clinicians can quickly connect with specialists to assess patients with COVID-19 symptoms, maintain isolation protocols, and save costs by minimizing transportation. Wireless stethoscopes can be used by a patient in their home to receive a cardiopulmonary exam from a specialist. This helps reduce the unnecessary risk of exposure by staying away from crowded medical offices and public infrastructure.

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Stethoscopes for clinicians with hearing loss

According to the World Health Organization, over 466 million people have disabling hearing loss, while an even greater number suffer from mild hearing loss. The strongest predictor of hearing loss is age; as adults get older, our hearing gets worse, especially for low-frequency heart sounds. Eko stethoscopes help clinicians experiencing hearing loss with amplification and noise cancellation, and compatibility with hearing aids. This allows heart and lung auscultations to sound clear.

• Clinicians with mild hearing loss may not need to use a wireless stethoscope because the combination of amplified sounds and noise-canceling is sufficient for clear auscultation.
• Clinicians with hearing aids choose to put the stethoscope in their ears on top of hearing aids or remove their hearing aids before performing auscultation.
• Clinicians with Bluetooth enabled hearing aids, cochlear implants or, streaming devices can connect wireless stethoscopes through Bluetooth. The Eko CORE pairs with the Eko App, and then Bluetooth hearing aids pair with the mobile phone.

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‍Stethoscopes for telemedicine

The ability to auscultate wirelessly is a vital part of any health system's telemedicine solution. Here are the essential elements of how stethoscopes are used in telemedicine.

• Enables telehealth providers to listen to lung and heart sounds with confidence and analyze a rhythm strip for potentially life-threatening arrhythmias.
• Can be used for clinician-to-clinician or clinician-to-patient telemedicine exams.
• Works alongside existing video conferencing platforms a health system already has in place for video visits.
• Interested in learning more about how Eko supports telemedicine? Click here.

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We are proud to offer health systems 30-days complimentary Eko Telehealth access. Visit our Telemedicine page to learn more.

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Common wireless stethoscope questions

1. What Eko stethoscopes support wireless auscultations?
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The CORE Digital Stethoscope & Attachment and DUO support wireless auscultation with both wired and wireless headphones or Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids connected to your mobile device.

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2. Why are headphones needed for wireless auscultation?

External phone, tablet, and, computer speakers are optimized to filter human voices, which are high-frequency sounds. Heart sounds are low-frequency and require quality headphones that support bass for a clinician to be able to auscultate properly. Wired headphones are the universal solution for best sound quality; however, clinicians can hear clear heart sounds with wireless headphones.

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3. Why is the Eko App required for wireless auscultation?

The Eko CORE & DUO stethoscopes are designed to pair with the Eko App to support the primary functions of visualizing, recording, analyzing, and sharing auscultations. Eko stethoscopes do not support simultaneous Bluetooth connections today, so the configuration requires that the stethoscope connects with the phone, then the phone connects with headphones.

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4. Will Eko stethoscopes work with PPE and PAPR?

For both infectious and non-infectious scenarios, the stethoscope can be placed in a disposable glove or plastic sleeve without any interruption to auscultation power. Wireless headphones underneath PAPR can seamlessly stream sounds from our devices, through the Eko app, to headphones.

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5. Where does the iOS/Android device need to be located for wireless auscultation?

For devices used in infectious disease areas, cover in PPE and/or place it in your pocket underneath your PPE. For devices used outside of infectious disease areas, these devices can be held by the healthcare worker or placed on a stand/cart.

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6. What is Live Playback?

Live Playback is the feature in the Eko App that allows auscultations to be streamed through the phone in real-time (wireless auscultation). Live Playback can be activated in the settings menu of the Eko App by toggling on “Play from iPhone” or “Play from Phone”. Learn more about enabling Live Playback in our Support Portal.

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7. What is the difference between Live Playback and Telemedicine Live Streaming?

Live Playback works with both the app closed (background mode) and the app open while the device is located within a few feet of the stethoscope.
Telemedicine Live Streaming is an Eko Enterprise tool that enables real-time auscultations anywhere in the world.

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8. What types of hearing aids work for wireless auscultation?

Read our updated hearing aid guide to learn how our stethoscopes work with hearing aids. Eko partners with the AMPHL to help test our products with different hearing aids. We recommend working with an audiologist to optimize your hearing aid channels for stethoscope wireless streaming. For additional support, please email support@ekohealth.com.

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9. How do I clean an Eko wireless stethoscope?

All stethoscopes should be cleaned between each patient use. All external parts of the hardware can be cleaned with 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes. DO NOT immerse the devices in any liquid or subject it to any high-pressure/autoclave sterilization processes.