Cheap, 3D-Printed Stethoscope Challenges Top-of-the-Line Model

[DEAD7]

Tarek Loubani, an emergency physician working in the Gaza strip, has 3D-printed a 30-cent stethoscope that beats the world's best $200 equivalent as part of a project to bottom-out the cost of medical devices. Loubani together with a team of medical and technology specialists designed the stethoscope and tested it against global standard benchmarks, finding it out performed the gold-standard Littmann Cardiology 3. They now intend to make a range of ultra-low cost medical devices for the developing world.

It cost about US$10,000 to develop, and has been released as an open source model for anyone to use. Loubani says the project is following the footsteps of the free software movement and aims to replace expensive proprietary solutions. He hopes that within 25 years the devices will be common-place in the Third World, and be the "Apache of the medical world."

 

[unit321]

Littman equipment is the Nike Air Jordans of the stethoscope world.

 

[newworldafro]

3D printing ............ Hard on Hardware

 

[kevm3]

Won't be long before businesses try to ban 3d printers because 'you can make guns and weapons.' More like you can untether yourself from a lot of these expensive products if you can just print and make them at home.