Color
Black
A Sprague Rappaport style stethoscope finished in orange. The Sprague Rappaport design is a classic dual-tube stethoscope style.
MN Health Sprague Rappaport Stethoscope is a stethoscope from MN Health.
This page carries 4 color options: Orange, Gray, Green, Black.
Find it on our Home Health & DME shelf, under Monitoring & Diagnostic Devices.
Orders placed before 3 PM ET ship the same day when the item is on our shelf (otherwise within 3 business days), and ground shipping is free over $10.
Product
- Manufacturer
- MN Health
- Item code
- 042-0345
Catalog path
- Marketplace
- Clinical
- Category
- Home Health & DME
- Subcategory
- Monitoring & Diagnostic Devices
Ordering
- Status
- Ships in 3 business days
More from Monitoring & Diagnostic Devices
Stocked in the same subcategory.
Questions
What is MN Health Sprague Rappaport Stethoscope used for?
A Sprague Rappaport style stethoscope finished in orange.
Which color options are on this page?
This page carries 4 color options: Orange, Gray, Green, Black. Pick one to see its price, part number and stock.
When does it ship?
In-stock orders placed before 3 PM ET ship the same day; anything not on our shelf ships within 3 business days.Ground shipping is free over $10.
About stethoscopes
An acoustic stethoscope is a simple mechanical construction for amplifying chest sounds during auscultation. It has a chest piece and a binaural earpiece, the bell picking up lower-frequency sounds and the diaphragm higher-frequency ones, and the sound travels through hollow tubing to both ears. In a blood pressure measurement either side may be used to catch the appearance and disappearance of the Korotkoff sounds as the cuff deflates, and both sides are commonly used in practice.
A blood pressure measurement is a test of the force in the arteries as the heart pumps, reported as two numbers. The systolic number is the pressure inside the arteries when the heart beats; the diastolic number is the pressure when the heart rests between beats. There are two main indirect ways to measure it: the auscultatory technique, which uses an upper arm cuff, a sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope to listen for blood flow in the artery and calls for specific training, and the oscillometric technique. Mercury-containing devices have been replaced by aneroid sphygmomanometers because of environmental and safety concerns. Oscillometric devices are usually electronic, inflate and deflate the cuff themselves, measure mean pressure and then estimate the systolic and diastolic numbers with an algorithm of their maker's own.
The FDA describes a blood pressure cuff as an inflatable bladder in an inelastic sleeve with a mechanism for inflating and deflating it, used together with another device to determine blood pressure, and classifies it as Class II (21 CFR 870.1120). A noninvasive blood pressure measurement system gives a signal from which the systolic, diastolic or mean pressure can be derived, through transducers placed on the surface of the body, and is Class II as well (21 CFR 870.1130). A manual stethoscope is a mechanical device used to project the sounds of the heart, arteries, veins and other internal organs, and is a Class I device; an electronic stethoscope, which amplifies those sounds electrically, is Class II (21 CFR 870.1875). Two pages sit on this shelf: a blood pressure monitor and a stethoscope.
How a blood pressure monitor and a stethoscope differ
- Blood Pressure Monitors — The cuff and the gauge or electronics that produce the numbers. An automated device inflates, deflates and measures by itself; done by hand, the same measurement needs a stethoscope over the brachial artery.
- Stethoscopes — It carries sound to the ear and produces no number of its own. A study reported that the bell gave a louder output than the diaphragm at low frequencies, and that the diaphragm was recommended where high-frequency components were wanted.
What to look at when choosing
Cuff size: a common barrier to accurate measurement is not selecting an appropriately sized arm cuff. A cuff that is too big can underestimate the pressure, and one that is too small overestimates it. Size is taken from the maker's instructions, from the markings on the cuff or from the measured mid-upper arm circumference; typically the bladder is at least 40 percent of arm circumference in width and 80 to 100 percent of it in length. Some devices now carry a single wide-range cuff designed to fit a range of arm circumferences.
Where the cuff goes: it fits snugly around the upper arm with the bottom edge just above the elbow. MedlinePlus puts the lower edge of the cuff one inch above the skin fold at the bend of the elbow.
Validation: websites kept for health professionals and patients list which devices have been validated and are accurate when used and maintained correctly. Many home devices on the market have not been independently validated for accuracy even though they have passed safety standards. Every device, a validated one included, needs regular calibration for its readings to stay reliable.
The monitor itself: MedlinePlus says the one chosen should be of good quality, fit well and be easy to use. With many digital machines the user waits 15 to 30 seconds before using it again.
Sources: MedlinePlus Medical Test: Measuring Blood Pressure · Mihailidou 2026, Measuring blood pressure accurately (Aust Prescr) · FDA 21 CFR 870.1120, Blood pressure cuff · FDA 21 CFR 870.1130, Noninvasive blood pressure measurement system · FDA 21 CFR 870.1875, Stethoscope · MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Blood pressure monitors for home · Seah et al. 2023, Review on the Advancements of Stethoscope Types in Chest Auscultation (Diagnostics) · Liu et al. 2016, Comparison of stethoscope bell and diaphragm, and of stethoscope tube length, for clinical blood pressure measurement (Blood Press Monit) · MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Blood pressure measurement
