
DATA SHEET No. 162
DATE:
SUBJECT: 
September 1940
MODEL 66D PIEZOELECTRIC STETHOPHONE
GENERAL:
zoelectric crystal converts the vibrations transmitted through the flesh into corresponding 
electrical impulses for amplified reproduction 
or recording. The instrument responds with uniform efficiency to the entire frequency range 
covered by heart sounds, murmurs, rales, etc. 
Model 66D replaces the earlier Model 65A Stethophone.
The new Stethophone is highly sensitive to 
the vibrations produced by body sounds but is 
extremely insensitive to air-borne or acoustic 
sounds. It is therefore possible to use the instrument in close proximity to loud speakers
without acoustic feed back, and to successfully
amplify extremely faint body sounds in the 
presence of external noises. This has not been 
possible heretofore with electrical Stethoscope 
devices which acoustically pickup body sounds 
from an air chamber.
In operation the Stethophone is simply ap-
plied to the body with moderate pressure in 
much the same way as the conventional Stethoscope 
would be used. A suitable high gain amplifier 
and reproducing or recording equipment must be 
supplied by the purchaser.
APPLICATIONS :
ment has extended to fields which are far beyond 
the possibilities of the ordinary Stethoscope. 
Heart and chest sounds can be observed with much 
greater clearness than with a Stethoscope. Extremely faint noises can be heard clearly with 
the Stethophone which would be difficult or impossible to detect with the ordinary Stethoscope.
A 66D Stethophone, in conjunction with a
suitable amplifier with one or more sets of 
headphones, constitutes the simplest complete 
equipment for auscultation. The sounds can be 
heard by several persons simultaneously by simply 
providing a sufficient number of headphones. 
This feature is particularly useful in teaching 
auscultation to medical students.
By feeding the output of the amplifier to 
one or more suitable loud speakers, body sounds 
can be demonstrated to a large group without the 
necessity for individual headphones. If desired, the demonstration can be made at a point
remote from the patient.
The Stethophone Can be strapped to the 
chest of a surgical patient during an operation 
and the condition of the patient’s heart can be 
observed continuously throughout the course of
the operation. The observation may be made at a 
distance from the patient by suitably extending 
the connecting cord thus causing a minimum of
interference with those actually engaged in the
surgery.
COPYRIQHT 1940 SHURE BROTHERS. CHICAGO (OVER)
Model 66D Stethophone is primarily designed for pickup or heartbeats and chest sounds. A pie-
The usefulness of the Stethophone 
in conjunction with the proper 
amplifying and reproducing equip-
Auscultation
Clinical Demonstrations
Surgery
By means of a cathode ray oscillograph or
other suitable device, the electrical wave forms 
which correspond to the body sounds may be observed visually. In this way it may be possible 
to observe abnormalities which might not be apparent from auscultation.
By means of a suitable recorder, recording 
galvanometer, or oscillograph, permanent records 
of heart sounds can be made which are analogous 
to the Well known electrocardiograph records.
With the aid of the Stethophone, recordings 
can be made or heart end body sounds by any of 
the well known sound recording methods. "Instantaneous" phonograph discs are especially
Convenient for this purpose. Such sound records 
offer convenient means for demonstrating abnor-
mal heart sounds to students.
Many other applications of the Stethophone 
will undoubtedly occur to those in the medical 
profession.
CONNECTIONS:
indicating and recording devices are shown in 
Fig. A. Many other arrangements are of course 
possible.
The Stethophone should be connected to the 
grid circuit of the first tube across a resistance of 5 megohms, as shown in Fig. B.
The output level Of the Stethophone depends 
upon individual conditions but good results 
should be obtained with high-gain amplifiers designed for crystal microphone operation.
A 7-foot cable is supplied attached to the 
Model 66D. If necessary, added cable may be attached for extension purposes to a maximum of 25 
feet total length. High quality, low-capacity 
cable should be used. It is essential that the 
leakage resistance of the cable be high so that
it will not appreciably reduce the effective 
shunt resistance across the Stethophone. Heartbeat sounds are of relatively low frequency and
leakage resistance will reduce the low frequency
response.
When splicing in extra lengths of cable,
the respective coded conductors should be sol-
Model 66D Piezoelectric 
Stethophone
Visual Observation
Graphic Records
Sound Recording
Suggested block diagrams of the 
66P Stethophone, associated amplifier and various reproducing,
PRINTED IN U. S. A.
 

No. No. 162
DATA SHEET
dered together and carefully insulated with a good 
grade of rubber tape. A wrap or fine wire or a 
piece of metal braid sleeving soldered to the 
shield of the cables should be used to cover the
joint of the cable to complete the shielding. 
Connector fittings are suitable for jointing 
cables if they provide complete metallic shielding or the conductor.
OPERATION:
to come in contact with hard, sharp objects. It 
should not be operated at temperatures exceeding
Voltage Sensitivity:
Recommended Load
Impedance:
Diameter. . . . . . . .
Thickness . . . . . . .
Finish. . . . . . . . .
Net Weight (less cord).
Shipping Weight . . . .
Code Word 
List Price 
Guarantee:
one year from date of shipment from the factory, 
provided all instructions are complied with 
fully.
License 
Notice:
Although the crystal unit Of the 
Stethophone is not extremely del-
icate, It should not be allowed
SPECIFICATIONS
The output level depends 
upon individual conditions. 
The output voltage for an 
average heartbeat Is of 
the order of 5 to 10 millivolts r.m.s.
5 megohms
MODEL, 66D
(See Fig. C)
1-5/16"
15/16"
Chrome Plated
3 oz.
3/4 lbs.
.......
.......
Every Shure Stethophone is guaranteed to be free from electrical end 
mechanical defects for a period of
Shure Crystal Devices are licensed 
under patents of the Brush Development Company. Shure patents pending.
RUTEF
$35.00
125° F. or permanent damage to the crystal may 
result.
FREQUENCY 
RESPONSE:
Stethophone has been designed to reproduce these 
sounds faithfully and accurately. The response 
to frequencies above 1,500 cycles is low, thus 
lessening pickup of undesirable high-frequency 
sounds. The response is down 10 db at 2000 
cycles and down 25 db at 8000 cycles. By suitable design of the amplifier, the transmitted 
frequency range may be adjusted to accentuate 
either normal heart sounds, or murmurs, in any 
desired manner.
Heart and chest sounds are made 
up of frequecies below approximately 1,500 cycles and the 66D
FIG. A
FORM NO. 1621243¼C