Sound conduction: Put on the stethoscope and place the chestpiece on a normal sound source, such as your own heartbeat or breathing, to check if you can hear the sound clearly. If the sound is weak, unclear, or there is obvious noise, there may be a fault.
Earplugs: Check if the earplugs fit tightly to the ears and are loose. Gently turn the earplugs to listen for changes or interruptions in the sound. If the earplugs do not conduct sound well, or there is an abnormal friction sound when turning, there may be a problem.
Sound guide tube: Observe whether the sound guide tube is damaged, cracked, flattened, or blocked. Gently bend and stretch the sound guide tube to check if the sound is affected.
Chestpiece: Check if the diaphragm of the chestpiece is flat, damaged, or loose. For dual-function chestpieces (bell type and membrane type), listen to whether the sound changes are obvious and normal when switching functions.
Connections: Check whether the connection between the earplugs, sound guide tubes, and chestpieces is firm and whether there is any looseness that causes sound leakage.
