Cleaning littman classic II SE?

adventure_rn, MSN, NP · Nov 6, 2018

What have you tried so far?

You should be able to take the plastic disc out of your diaphragm (although I'd search for some advice online or youtube videos about how to do it without damaging the disc). That would allow you a bit more access to the gunky parts. I'm sure there's a way to remove it because they sell replacement parts for if that piece gets cracked or bent (and if you did need to replace it, that little piece of plastic is way cheaper than the entire bell/diaphragm combo).

When I started nursing school, my dad gifted me his 30-year-old Littmann from when he was in med school. The acoustics were ok, but there was some mysterious sticky black goop at the base of the bell and diaphram (along that internal axis around which the bell and diaphragm turn); it reminded me of the sticky black goop that gets left behind when you peel a sticker off of a hard surface. I was able to clean it pretty thoroughly with some regular old rubbing alcohol and a q-tip. I even dripped a bit of alcohol down into the hole at the bottom of the bell where you can see the axis. If you can find a way to get the plastic disc off of your diaphragm, you'd have even better access.

Godspeed.

J.Allen · Dec 18, 2018

The manual will tell you not to immerse the scope in any liquids, but at this point if it doesn't work what choice do you have as a last ditch effort. I would separate the chest piece from the lumen- it just slides off. Remove the bell, non-chill rim, and diaphragm. Then soak the head in isopropyl alcohol for 15 minutes. Then using a Q-tip, try to clean the stem through the bell hole, diaphragh hole, and the outside of the stem where it rotates inside the chest-piece. Lastly you will want to lubricate the the rotating parts- a very small amount of oil in the bell hole and the diaphragm hole. Littmann says to use Praveni oil, but it's impossible to find. I suppose you could use gun oil ( I used my watchmaking oil). Just don't use WD-40. Remember, a little goes a long way.

If after cleaning it still won't rotate (It should but if it doesn't) you can immerse it in an ultrasonic bath for 5 minutes. I have one but most people don't. Jewelry stores have these and will probably do it for you for 5 dollars. Littmann has a maintenance service which will clean it and lubricate it for you, but the cost is near what the scope costs, and you will have to part with it for a few months.

Littmann also has instructions for care and maintenance of the scope- taking it apart and cleaning it and lubing it. It would also be a good time to condition the tubing. Littmann recommends Pravani conditioning oil, but you can probably use Armour All, Skin so Soft, or an automotive leather and vinyl conditioner- I would just test it out on an inconspicuous area first before dousing the entire thing.

Stethoscope Cleaning and Care