The Thinklabs Stethoscope is undoubtedly one of the best digital stethoscopes available on the market. With numerous patented technologies and premium materials, it is also one of the most expensive. Offering amplification up to x100 and allowing for fine-tuning the high- and low frequencies, the Thinklabs One is also compatible with telemedicine applications. The provided companion apps and software allow analyzing the recorded sounds. Its unique form factor may not be for everybody but once tried, it will be hard to go back to more standard stethoscopes.
ONE by Thinklabs
Price when reviewed: $524.00
The Thinklabs One digital stethoscope fits in the palm of your hands and delivers crystal clear treble when connected to high-quality headphones. More than a stethoscope, the Thinklabs one is as far from Laennec’s first hollow tube as the Ford-T is from a Tesla car. Designed in Clive Smith, Colorado, it took more than three years to conceive it and source the best possible materials and components.
A team in search of the best digital stethoscope
All of the electronics have been custom designed, ear headphones included. The glass used is the same sapphire crystal used in Rolex watches, the connections are gold plated, and the casing is made of a block of machined aluminum. The Thinklabs stethoscope team had the goal of designing and building the best electronic stethoscope on the market, and they undoubtedly succeeded.
With its circular shape (46mm x 28 mm) and weight of 50 g, the One is very different from a standard stethoscope. Designed for high power output, it amplifies the heart or lung sounds up to 100 times. The Thinklabs patented Electromagnetic Diaphragm technology modifies the sensor’s response to lower frequencies.
Precise filtering features
The LED on the front display allows to precisely define the range of frequencies. By precisely narrowing the bandwidth, it becomes possible not only to remove but the background noise but also to select some specific heart sounds without being disturbed by the breathing sounds.
Not using tubing allows bypassing the air’s undesirable filter when the sound is transmitted from the diaphragm. The Thinklabs capacitive Electromagnetic Diaphragm (EmD) vibrates in the same way as an acoustic stethoscope. The capacitive plate positioned behind the diaphragm will translate the mechanical vibration into an analogous audio signal.
The output volume is fully adjustable and allows to listen to the body comfortably sounds even through the clothing. By filtering the high and low frequencies, even the screechings of the animals’ fur can be reduced, making the Thinklabs One an instrument of choice for veterinarians.
A multitude of clinical applications
The Thinklabs stethoscope is a futuristic medical device built for the future of medicine. The Thinklink companion app. is iOS and Android compatible and offers the possibility to record, share, and playback. For students, it opens the opportunity to create sound libraries and train their ears. The headset mode even allows performing auscultation while speaking on the phone, allowing a real collaborative exam.
The rechargeable lithium-ion battery offers a listening time of up to 250 mins and is rechargeable using the included USB cable. The Thinklabs One is the digital stethoscope of choice for hearing impaired medical professionals. It is, of course, FDA-approved and CE-marked. This device could have easily been part of the stethoscopes we considered the best electronic stethoscopes for 2024. Only its premium price put it out of our list but considering all it has to offer; the price is certainly justified.
