Probes, Sondes and Sounds

If one had to associate a particular instrument with doctors in general, it would certainly be the stethoscope. It enables him with convenience and decorum to listen to the noises inside his patient. Most of the interesting noises occur in the chest and in particular in or close to the heart, though bowel sounds have also received some attention. The interpretation of the sounds takes experience, but this can be supplemented by detecting the sounds electronically and displaying them as a picture, when it also becomes possible to measure the time relationship between them.