When did the electronic stethoscope appear, marking a departure from mechanical conduction?
Answer
Around the 1960s
The significant transition from purely mechanical sound transmission to electronic sound processing occurred around the 1960s with the introduction of the electronic stethoscope. This marked a crucial leap because it allowed for the digitization of the body sounds captured by the device. Once digitized, the sound signals could be subjected to amplification, complex filtering to isolate specific frequencies, and the capability to record the findings, features that were entirely unavailable with René Laennec’s initial purely acoustic instrument. This electronic phase required major advances in sound transduction, the process of converting acoustic energy into usable electrical signals.
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