How to replace the non-chill ring on your ERKA Stethoscope.
This article will help you replace or reconstruct your stethoscope chest piece.
The ERKA Sensitive & precise Stethoscope includes a dual membrane which rests comfortably in the stethoscope chest piece. This design intends to provide clinicians with the options to replace the non-chill ring after deterioration from use over time. It also enables the disassembly and cleaning of the components.
The components of these stethoscopes include:
- A non-chill ring with indentations to match the exterior of the stethoscope head.
- A membrane construction with plastic & metal membrane pieces. A central rubber o-ring houses the membranes and is designed to sit flush within the stethoscope chest piece.
Follow these steps to change the Erka membrane unit and non-chill ring assembly.
Membrane Unit Assembly
The central rubber o-ring has a groove on the inside which is designed to hold the plastic & metal membranes. Please refer to the blue demarkations on the image to visualise how the membrane plates sit within the o-ring.
a) Ensure the corners of the metal & plastic membrane are pushed together tightly and inserted within the inner groove of the o-ring. This part of the installation is the most finicky and requires some careful alignment.
b) The membrane unit is now ready to be combined with the stethoscope chest piece and non-chill ring.
Non-chill Ring Assembly
a) Take the membrane unit and insert it flush within the chest piece of the stethoscope. Be sure to align the grooves to ensure a perfect fit.
b) Take the non-chill ring and slide it over the top of the stethoscope chest piece that it rests on the stethoscope tubing. (This can be done before or after step 2a).
It is easier to align the non-chill ring with the stethoscope chest piece this way, as there is no need to worry about the membrane being dislodged from the non-chill ring by using this method.
c) Gently move the non-chill ring into place by aligning it with the outer grooves of the stethoscope chest piece.
d) Check that the non-chill ring sits over the top of the membrane unit in order to ensure device longevity.
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