The Littmann CORE digital stethoscope comes preassembled for your convenience and is tested to ensure proper setup. It offers the superior acoustics, comfort, and quality of the Littmann Cardiology IV stethoscope, plus the added benefit of up to 40x amplification (at peak frequency, vs. analogue mode), active noise cancellation, and sound wave visualisation using a companion app on a mobile device.
In addition, in certain geographies including the United States, the Eko App enables the use of Eko’s subscription-based, FDA-cleared software features to detect the presence of suspected murmurs.
When you purchase the Littmann CORE digital stethoscope, we ensure proper assembly, and you receive a single point of service and support from Littmann.
Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscope
Powerful features for a clearer picture of your patients’ health
Up to 40x amplification
Our most advanced stethoscope yet, the Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscope provides up to 40x the amplification at peak frequency, when compared with analogue mode. Designed to help provide a clearer picture of your patient’s health, it's innovating auscultation for the digital era.
Buy with confidence by purchasing from a Littmann Authorised Dealer
Patient safety is our top priority.
Counterfeit Littmann Stethoscopes pose a real threat to you and your patients. For the best-in-class Littmann Stethoscope acoustics, only buy from authorised dealers. Protect your patient with authentic, high-quality stethoscopes and safeguard your practice by avoiding unauthorised distributors.
Shop with confidence by purchasing your authentic, high-quality Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscope from an Authorised Littmann Dealer.
The noise-cancelling functionality of the 3M Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscope allows me to confidently assess patients in loud environments, even while living with hearing loss.
Heather Skally
BSN, RN
Make it yours
Choose your unique finish
The Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscope is available in four unique finishes, giving you the option to personalise your go-to tool for auscultation.
Find the right finish to complement your scope of practice and personal approach to patient care.
Resources to help you get started with your Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscope
Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscope FAQs
- Stethoscope and digital attachment
- Pricing and where to buy
- Getting started
- Service and support
- Eko+ and Eko AI
- Warranty information
- Product specifications
- Cleaning and maintenance
The Littmann CORE digital stethoscope is the most advanced Littmann Stethoscope yet. It comes pre-assembled with a 3M™ Littmann® Cardiology IV™ Stethoscope and a CORE Digital Attachment, giving it the ability to perform in both digital and analogue modes.
Alternatively, the CORE Digital Attachment is sold separately. It is not a stethoscope by itself but can be manually added to a Littmann® Cardiology IV™ stethoscope.
One of the main features of the Littmann CORE digital stethoscope is that it remains functional as a cardiology-grade stethoscope even when the digital component is switched off.
The Littmann CORE digital stethoscope is manufactured by Littmann Stethoscopes and consists of a Littmann® Cardiology IV™ Stethoscope and a CORE Digital Attachment, allowing for both digital and analogue capabilities.
No, the Littmann CORE digital stethoscope uses next generation tubing that does not contain natural rubber latex or phthalate plasticisers.
Littmann stethoscopes are sold through authorised dealers who set their own pricing and may occasionally have special promotions and offers.
You may sign up to receive Littmann Stethoscopes email newsletters and follow Littmann stethoscopes on social media to be one of the first to know about special offers and promotions.
Please refer to the Quick Start Guide included in your product box. You may also refer to your Littmann stethoscope owner’s manual for detailed instructions on removing and cleaning parts and reassembly.
Main stethoscope: Littmann® CORE Digital Stethoscope user manual
Digital attachment: Quick Start Guide
When the Littmann CORE digital stethoscope is off, it functions as a mechanical (analogue, not amplified) stethoscope. To turn the Littmann CORE digital stethoscope amplified mode on, press the power toggle in. The LED light will begin flashing. You will now hear amplified and filtered sound in the eartips.
The CORE digital unit LED light provides information about the status of the device:
a. Flashing white: Unit is ON and ready to pair with the Eko mobile app. (You do not need to pair Bluetooth® with the app for the amplification to work. You need to pair with the app to view sound wave visualisation and use features such as sound recording, sharing, and AI-enabled screening.)
b. Solid white: Unit is ON and paired to the Eko App.
c. Yellow: Unit is plugged in and charging.
d. Flashing Yellow: LOW battery.
e. Green: Unit is plugged in and fully charged.
(Note: The CORE digital unit will not function while it is charging.)
The Littmann CORE digital stethoscope will enter standby mode after 5 minutes of inactivity. To reactivate the device, switch it off and then on again.
Download the Eko App from the Apple App Store® or Google Play™ Store, start the app, and create an Eko account. Turn on Bluetooth® on your phone or tablet, launch the Eko App, and turn on the Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscope. Then pair the stethoscope with your device as instructed in the app.
Yes, English and Japanese are available on all platforms. Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, and Italian are available now on Android™ and will be available on iOS in the future. More languages will be added to both platforms in the future.
There is no data stored in the app. The app acts as an interface between the web platform and your data. Eko’s app is a cloud-based software with all data stored in the cloud within the United States. Data security is one of our highest priorities. Eko maintains HIPAA-compliant policies, procedures, and technical safeguards for patient and customer data. Eko uses HIPAA-compliant and NIST recommended 256-bit AES encryption using managed keys for patient data. Encrypted backups are taken daily. Eko’s app also meets the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU.
The new app is compatible with iOS version 15 or newer and will not work on iPhones using iOS 14 or older. For those using iOS 14 or older, the app will not update to the new app, but you can continue to use the previous version of the Eko app. To see a complete list of compatible Android devices, please visit the Eko Help Center.
1. Rotate to the correct side – when using the double-sided Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscope, you need to open (or index) the side you want to use—bell or diaphragm - by rotating the chestpiece. If the diaphragm is open, the bell will be closed, preventing sound from coming in through the bell and vice versa.
2. Point eartips forward - before placing the eartips in your ears, make sure they point forward, away from you. This ensures that the eartubes will align with your ear canals for comfort and maximum sound transmission.
3. Choose your eartip size - for optimal acoustic performance, it’s important to use the eartip size that best fits comfortably in your ear to achieve a proper seal. Small and large size eartips are provided in the Littmann CORE digital stethoscope box. You may also perform a headset adjustment to suit your personal preference for comfort.
4. Remove potential obstructions - if you usually carry your Littmann CORE digital stethoscope in a pocket, or don’t clean it often, lint or dirt may accumulate and obstruct the sound pathway. To prevent debris from accumulating, give your stethoscope routine cleaning and care, and keep the open bell free of debris by covering it with the removable diaphragm.
5. Check the seal – Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscopes rely on an airtight seal in order to transmit body sounds from the patient to the practitioner’s ears. Loose parts in the chestpiece, loose or cracked tubing, or improperly seated eartips can prevent an airtight seal.
If possible, perform auscultation in a quiet environment. While the Littmann CORE digital stethoscope has active noise cancellation, some ambient noise will still be audible during auscultation.
Tunable technology was invented by 3M Health Care, now Solventum. It allows you to hear different frequency sounds by simply adjusting the pressure on the chestpiece. Hold the chestpiece with light pressure on the patient’s chest to hear low frequency sounds; press a little more firmly to hear higher frequency sounds.
If using the Eko App and external speakers or headphones to listen live, we recommend using plug-in speakers or headphones for best sound quality. Wireless headphones may yield varied sound quality. Please visit the Eko Help Centre for more information.
High-quality headphones are strongly recommended to hear heart and lung sounds in high fidelity when playing back sound recordings from a phone or tablet. Phone speakers will not provide optimal sound quality. Changing the Littmann CORE digital stethoscope volume while recording does not change the volume of the recorded audio on the app, therefore the playback volume must be adjusted in the app or on the smart device itself.
You may be able to listen to sounds via Bluetooth® headphones by pairing your Littmann CORE Stethoscope to the Eko App on your mobile device and using the ‘Play from Headphones’ feature in the Eko App on your mobile device and then listening live via Bluetooth® through the app. The Littmann CORE digital stethoscope does not pair directly with Bluetooth® wireless headphones.
If using the Eko App and external speakers or headphones to listen live, we recommend using plug-in speakers or headphones for best sound quality. Wireless headphones may yield varied sound quality. Please visit the Eko Help Center for more information.
Current version of the app: When the stethoscope is connected to the app, the filters can be selected by going to Menu -> App Settings -> CORE Audio Filter in the Eko mobile app, without any need to touch the stethoscope. The default filter is Wide but Cardiac and Pulmonary filters can also be selected to allow the lower and higher frequencies to be emphasised in the sound profile, respectively. Your filter choice will be saved when you turn the app off.
Prior versions of the app: When the stethoscope is connected to the app, the filters can be selected from the Settings menu in the Eko mobile app, without any need to touch the stethoscope. The default filter is Wide but Cardiac and Pulmonary filters can also be selected to allow the lower and higher frequencies to be emphasised in the sound profile, respectively.
The Littmann CORE digital stethoscope cannot pair directly with hearing aids. However, if your hearing aids are Bluetooth® compatible and can connect to your phone, you can utilise the ‘Play from Headphones’ feature in the app to stream sound wirelessly into the hearing aids from the phone. It is vital that you validate with your audiologist that your hearing aids can produce the necessary frequencies to perform a diagnostic auscultation. Please visit the Eko Help Centre for more information.
Current version of the app: The Littmann CORE digital stethoscope includes active noise cancellation that can be turned off or on through the Menu -> CORE Settings in the Eko App. The default setting in the app is OFF. Also, turning the stethoscope off will turn off active noise cancellation.
Prior versions of the app: Littmann CORE digital stethoscope includes active noise cancellation that can be turned off or on through the Settings menu in the Eko App. The default setting in the app is OFF. Also, turning the stethoscope off will turn off active noise cancellation.
Sharing auscultation sounds requires an Eko+ subscription, which is only available in the United States and the United Kingdom. In the Eko App, tap “Patients.” Then select the patient and then the recording which is available in select markets. Finally, tap “Share” and follow the prompts. The recipient does not need to have an Eko account to receive and open these files.
Charge your Littmann CORE digital stethoscope or CORE Digital Attachment when the yellow light starts blinking. Insert the supplied micro-USB cable into the USB port of the device and plug the other (USB-A) end into a UL-certified USB wall charger (max 5 volts). The device LED will turn solid yellow, signifying that it is charging. The LED will change to solid green when the device is fully charged.
To fully charge the battery, it should take about 2.5 hours when starting from a fully depleted battery. When fully charged, the stethoscope should provide 8 hours of continuous digital use. We recommend turning the digital unit OFF between each use to maximise battery life.
NOTE: The digital unit will not turn on while it is plugged in and charging. There are no user-serviceable parts in the digital unit, and it is not designed to be opened by the user.
The digital unit has a 5-minute standby mode to conserve battery life. The white LED on the unit will disappear when the digital unit goes into standby mode and the toggle will remain flat with the surface of the volume buttons (i.e., in the “ON” position).
To power the digital unit back ON, push the toggle to the OFF and then the ON position. The white light will appear to indicate the device is ON.
The sound level can be amplified in 7 increments to provide up to 40x amplification (at peak frequency, versus analogue mode) when listening with the stethoscope earpieces. Increase the volume level by clicking the plus (+) volume button on the side of the unit and decrease the volume level by clicking the minus (-) volume button on the side of the digital unit.
If you are using headphones to listen to the sounds through your smartphone or tablet, you will need to adjust your device’s volume in the usual manner; the stethoscope’s volume buttons will have no effect on listening volume in this case.
Note: Changing the volume on the digital unit does not affect the volume of a recording in the Eko App running on your mobile device. Playback volume must therefore be adjusted in the App or on the smart device itself.
Yes, the stethoscope can be laser engraved. We do not recommend scratch engraving as this can increase frictional noise during auscultation. Do not disassemble the stethoscope in any way (e.g., pulling the tubing apart, unscrewing the tubing stems).
To connect with service and support in Europe, Middle East and Africa please contact your local Solventum office or email littmann.emea@solventum.com
For all other countries, please visit your local Littmann warranty and repairs page for contact information.
Globally for the CORE Digital Attachment, please visit support.ekohealth.com
Eko+ is a paid membership offered by Eko Health that unlocks unlimited access to the Eko App’s full feature set.
With an Eko+ membership, you can access the Eko App’s full suite of features including AI-powered murmur detection and creating, saving, and sharing heart sound recordings and PDF reports.
Eko+ is offered as a monthly or annual subscription by Eko Health and can be purchased on ekohealth.com or in the app through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Eko+ is currently offered by Eko Health to users in the United States and the United Kingdom. Eko+ is compatible with the Littmann CORE digital stethoscope and the CORE Digital Attachment.
Visit ekohealth.com to learn more.
Eko AI is a suite of artificial intelligence machine learning algorithms that assist clinicians in detecting suspected cardiac conditions. (Eko AI via the Eko app is available in the U.S. only, but will be available in other countries in the future).
United States: With an active Eko+ subscription, when the Eko App is connected and used with a compatible digital stethoscope, the Eko Analysis Software (EAS) can automatically check for murmurs, bradycardia, and tachycardia. Once the recording is completed, the Eko App will summarise any findings, including potential murmurs or other abnormalities detected. Keep in mind that the algorithms used to detect murmurs are not accessed by an Eko device alone. Users must be connected to the EAS using the newest version of the Eko App and have an active Eko+ subscription. Reminder: the outputs of the Eko analysis are not a diagnosis but are intended to aid the clinician in reaching a diagnosis accurately, quickly, and confidently.
International: This app is available internationally, though every country has their own set of guidelines on what is and is not available to be downloaded. If you can download the new app, please be advised that AI will not be included, as these algorithms are only currently distributed in the United States. You will still have access to other Eko App features.
Eko offers telemedicine through a paid software subscription (where available, sold separately). Visit the Eko website to learn more.
The Littmann CORE digital stethoscope includes a 2-year warranty. Learn more at Littmann.com/warranty.
The Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscope comes with a 2-year warranty due to the complexity of its electronic components. Learn more at Littmann.com/warranty.
The Littmann CORE digital stethoscope is assembled in the USA with materials sourced from around the world. The CORE Digital Attachment is made by Eko in Malaysia
The Littmann CORE digital stethoscope measures 69 centimetres (27 inches) from the end of the chestpiece to the eartips and weighs 232 grams.
The Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscope is available today in select markets in the following finishes: all black, high-polish rainbow, high-polish copper, and high-polish mirror. Please sign up to receive Littmann Stethoscopes emails or follow us on social media to be one of the first to know when we launch new styles.
A fully charged battery should last at least eight hours in continuous transmission mode (powered on and Bluetooth® paired with the Eko App).
The battery in the CORE Digital Attachment will need to be charged before first use. A USB charging cable is provided in the box. The Littmann CORE digital stethoscope and the CORE Digital Attachment will take about 2.5 hours to fully charge. The light on the digital attachment will turn green when it is fully charged.
No, because the Littmann CORE digital stethoscope contains metal.
The tunable diaphragm was invented by 3M Health Care, now Solventum, and allows you to hear both low and high frequency sounds without needing to remove, flip, and reposition the chestpiece on the patient.
As the Littmann CORE digital stethoscope is derived from a Littmann® Cardiology IV stethoscope, it also incorporates this feature. Even when the digital component is switched off or the battery is depleted, clinicians are still able to hear a range of different frequencies.
By adjusting the pressure applied to the patient, a tunable diaphragm will modify, or tune, the sounds to allow you to hear either low or high frequencies. When holding the tunable diaphragm on a patient and pressing lightly, low frequency sounds will be transmitted. When using the tunable diaphragm and pressing firmly, higher frequency sounds will be accentuated.
Clean external parts between patient exams using 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes. Under normal conditions, it is not necessary to remove the CORE Digital Attachment from the stethoscope during the cleaning procedure.
The diaphragms, non-chill bell sleeve, and eartips may be removed, if necessary, for thorough cleaning. Ensure all parts and surfaces are dry before reassembly. To remove an eartip, grasp the eartip firmly using the thumb and forefinger of one hand and pull sharply away from the eartube while holding the eartube in the other hand. To attach the eartips, push the small side firmly onto the eartube until it snaps fully into place. To prevent ear canal injury, be sure eartips are firmly attached to the headset before inserting them into your ears.
To prevent stethoscope damage, do not: immerse your stethoscope in any liquid, subject your stethoscope to any sterilisation process (e.g., autoclaving, liquid chemical sterilisation), or store in extreme heat.
Yes, Littmann CORE digital stethoscope eartips snap firmly onto the ends of the eartubes and can be removed for cleaning, but may require significant effort to remove. This design is intentional for safety purposes.
Under normal conditions, it is not necessary to remove the CORE Digital Attachment from the stethoscope during the cleaning procedure.
The tubing used on the Littmann CORE digital stethoscope is made of PVC (polyvinylchloride), which becomes hard when exposed for long periods of time to the lipids found in human skin. If worn around the neck, we recommend wearing the stethoscope over a collar away from contact with your skin.
Yes, we list available Littmann CORE digital stethoscope parts and accessories in our full product catalogue. They are available to purchase from our authorised dealers. If you are in need of stethoscope service information, please visit our Littmann Warranty and Repairs page.
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