Teaching Stethoscope: Types, Sizes and FDA Class

A teaching stethoscope is a manual (acoustic) stethoscope fitted with a second set of earpieces, so two people can listen to the same sound through one chestpiece at the same time. A trainee and an instructor, for example, hear one sound together instead of describing it afterwards. Some models extend this to four listeners. In the US the FDA files teaching stethoscopes in the same product code as any other manual stethoscope, so they are regulated as a Class I device.

This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.

What a teaching stethoscope is

A teaching stethoscope is a shared-listening version of the ordinary manual stethoscope. The FDA’s regulation at 21 CFR 870.1875 describes a manual stethoscope as “a mechanical device used to project the sounds associated with the heart, arteries, and veins and other internal organs.” A teaching model does the same job; what it adds is a second listening path, so that a supervisor can hear what a learner hears. Manufacturers’ catalogue entries use several names for this: teaching scope, dual-listener, two-binaural, quad binaural and “4 users” (see the data table below).

Who uses it: clinical educators and students in training settings, and anyone who needs two people to hear the same sound at once. The catalogue wording in the FDA’s device database is the evidence for the product class, not for any training outcome: the page makes no claim about how well teaching stethoscopes improve learning.

How it is built

The Global Medical Device Nomenclature (GMDN) term attached to these devices in the FDA’s UDI database is “Mechanical external stethoscope” (code 13755). The database definition reads: a non-powered, external listening device designed to be placed on the patient’s skin to listen to sounds from the arms, heart, lungs and/or gastrointestinal tract. It typically comprises a membrane at the listening head connected by a split “Y” tube to the headgear with ear olives that are placed into the user’s ears. It is described as a reusable device.

A teaching model adds listening positions to that arrangement. The catalogue descriptions name the result in different words (“TWO-BINAURALS”, “Quad Binaural”, “4 Users”, “duplex”), meaning two or four headsets (binaurals) per device. The records do not publish acoustic specifications, so this page does not compare sound quality between models.

Several records also say “Dual Head” (for example the Tech-Med 1204, Moore 66247 and Labtron 540 entries). That phrase describes a chestpiece with two sides, a diaphragm and a bell, which is a separate feature from the number of listeners. For the chestpiece itself, see our guide to stethoscope types.

Regulatory class and classification

Item	What the FDA record says	Source
Regulation	21 CFR 870.1875, Stethoscope; manual stethoscope in paragraph (a)	eCFR text via Cornell LII
Class	Class I (general controls); exempt from premarket notification (510(k)) subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 870.9	21 CFR 870.1875(a)(2)
Product code and name	LDE, “Stethoscope, Manual”, device class 1, cardiovascular	openFDA classification API
Electronic counterpart	“Electronic stethoscope”: electrically amplified; Class II (special controls); lung sound monitors exempt from 510(k) subject to 870.9	21 CFR 870.1875(b)
Teaching models in the database	30 UDI records matching “teaching” under product code LDE as of 2026-11-12; 29 are single teaching scopes and one is a blood pressure kit that includes a teaching scope (product codes LDE and DXQ)	openFDA UDI API

The practical point is that a teaching stethoscope is not a separate FDA device type. Every record checked sits under the manual stethoscope code LDE. An amplified stethoscope with electronic components would fall under the Class II electronic stethoscope paragraph instead. For background on what Class I and Class II mean, see our explainer on the Class II medical device pathway and the dictionary entry for the Medical Device Amendments of 1976.

Types and variants

The 30 database records differ in a small number of stated attributes. The table groups the variants that the catalogue descriptions themselves name.

Variant as named in the record	What the description states	Example record
Two binaurals	Two headsets on one device, for two listeners	Medline MDS9750, “STETHOSCOPE, TEACHING, TWO-BINAURALS”
Quad binaural	Four headsets	Cardinal Health SPS2PABK, “Stethoscope, Teaching, Quad Binaural, Black”
Named user count	“4 Users”	MDF MDF757PT04, “Pulse Time Teaching Stethoscope, 4 Users”
Duplex	Named “Teaching stethoscope duplex” with no listener count in the description excerpt	Riester 4002-02
Dual head	Names a two-sided chestpiece; listener count not stated	Tech-Med 1204; Moore 66247; Labtron 540
Adult, pediatric and infant sizes	Age size appears in the catalogue name	Adscope 613BKBK (Adult), 604TCH (Pediatric), 605TCH (Infant)
Latex-free labelling in the name	“Latex Free” is part of the catalogue description	BV Medical 38-405-014
Chestpiece sold separately	Description says “w/out chestpiece”	Proscope 671C

Many models appear several times because of colour or brand variants: American Diagnostic Corporation lists Proscope 661, 671, 671BKBD, 671BKRB, 671BKTL and 671HOP, for example, with the same stated length and age size. The data table at the end of this page collapses these to representative models.

Sizes that are stated

Tube length is the only physical dimension that the records state consistently. The values below are copied from the catalogue descriptions; none is a measured or tested value.

Tube length stated	Record	Age size stated
22 in	Tech-Med 1204 (Dukal)	Not stated
40 in	3M Littmann Classic II S.E. Teaching Stethoscope 2138	Not stated
42 in	Adscope 605TCH (Infant), Adscope 604TCH (Pediatric)	Infant; Pediatric
43 in	Adscope 613BKBK, 613BKBD, 613BKRB and 655T VistaScope	Adult
44.5 in	Proscope 661, 671 and colour variants	Adult

In this sample, the longer lengths are listed for adult models and 42 inches for infant and pediatric Adscope models. Two models, the 22-inch Tech-Med and the 40-inch Littmann, do not state an age size. The sources give no reason for the differences in length and this page does not guess at one.

What the records differ on, and what they do not tell you

The FDA and manufacturer records are not a buying guide. They give a way to compare listings on the same basis, and they also mark where the public record is silent.

Number of listeners. Named in some descriptions (two, quad, 4 users) and absent in others. Where a listing does not state it, confirm it with the maker’s own product information before assuming it.
Tube length and age size. Stated for some models only, as in the table above.
Latex. The FDA UDI field “labeled as containing natural rubber latex” was false on all the teaching records read, and one family (BV Medical) says “Latex Free” in its name. A field value is the maker’s declaration; it is not a test result.
Reusable. The GMDN definition describes the device type as reusable, and none of the records read is labelled sterile.
Acoustic performance. No record states sound-quality or frequency-response figures. Claims about clarity or sensitivity in sales listings are not part of the FDA record and are not repeated here.

Product-level labelling requirements are covered in our guide to FDA labeling requirements for medical devices. For general diagnostic supplies, see the diagnostic, monitoring and imaging category.

Safe use and handling basics

A teaching stethoscope is shared by design, which makes cleaning between users the main general-handling point. The CDC’s Infection Control guidance on environmental services (Environmental Services, page dated 8 January 2024) says that manufacturers of medical equipment should provide care and maintenance instructions, including compatibility with chemical germicides. It adds that, in the absence of manufacturers’ instructions, non-critical medical equipment such as stethoscopes usually requires only cleansing followed by low- to intermediate-level disinfection, depending on the nature and degree of contamination. The same CDC page notes that ethyl or isopropyl alcohol at 60% to 90% is often used on small surfaces and occasionally on the external surfaces of equipment such as stethoscopes, but that alcohol evaporates quickly, which makes extended contact times hard to achieve.

What this means for a teaching model, in general terms:

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use first; the CDC wording applies in their absence.
The parts that touch skin (chestpiece) and the parts that touch the ears (ear olives and binaural headsets) are the surfaces a facility’s own infection-control policy would cover. The CDC page does not give an ear-tip-specific rule.
With two or four listeners, there are two or four sets of eartips to consider, not one.

This is general information about product handling, not an infection-control protocol for any specific setting. Facility policy and the maker’s instructions govern.

Common mistakes

Treating “dual head” as “two listeners.” In catalogue wording, dual head usually describes the chestpiece, as in the Tech-Med, Moore and Labtron entries. Listener count is a separate attribute.
Assuming a teaching stethoscope is a different regulatory device. All 30 records read sit under the manual stethoscope code, LDE.
Treating a FDA database entry as a performance rating. Registration or listing in the UDI database is a labeller’s submission of identification data; it is not an FDA assessment of acoustic quality.
Skipping cleaning because the device is non-critical. CDC places stethoscopes in the group that needs cleansing followed by low- to intermediate-level disinfection when the maker gives no instructions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a teaching stethoscope and a regular stethoscope?

A teaching stethoscope has extra earpieces so more than one person can listen to the same chestpiece at once, while a regular stethoscope has one binaural headset. Both are listed by the FDA under the manual stethoscope product code LDE.

Is a teaching stethoscope an FDA-regulated medical device?

Yes, as a manual stethoscope. 21 CFR 870.1875(a)(2) classifies manual stethoscopes as Class I (general controls) and exempts them from premarket notification subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 870.9.

How many people can listen at once?

The records name two (two-binaurals), four (quad binaural, “4 users”) and, for some listings, no listener count. The count is the maker’s catalogue statement, so check the product’s own information.

Does it come in pediatric and infant sizes?

Yes, for at least one maker: American Diagnostic Corporation lists Adscope teaching scopes labelled Adult-43″, Pediatric 42″ and Infant-42″.

How should a shared stethoscope be cleaned?

Per the manufacturer’s instructions. Where there are none, CDC guidance for non-critical equipment such as stethoscopes is cleansing followed by low- to intermediate-level disinfection, depending on contamination.

Is a teaching stethoscope the same as an electronic stethoscope?

No. An electronic stethoscope is electrically amplified and is Class II under 21 CFR 870.1875(b). The teaching models read here are listed as non-powered manual devices.

Sources

21 CFR 870.1875, Stethoscope, Code of Federal Regulations, via Cornell Legal Information Institute, law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/870.1875 (read 2026-11-12).
openFDA device classification API, product code LDE (read 2026-11-12), api.fda.gov/device/classification.
openFDA device UDI API and AccessGUDID, National Library of Medicine, accessgudid.nlm.nih.gov, query for teaching stethoscopes under LDE (read 2026-11-12).
CDC, Infection Control, Environmental Services, page dated 8 January 2024, cdc.gov/infection-control (read 2026-11-12).

Teaching Stethoscope: What It Is, Types, Sizes and FDA Class