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A 3D PRINTED STETHOSCOPE THAT COSTS A FEW DOLLARS MATCHED A LITTMANN CARDIOLOGY III IN A PEER-REVIEWED TEST

A stethoscope you print and build for under five dollars performed as well as a Littmann Cardiology III in a published comparison.

by Glia

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

HealthOpen-hardware

Built with3D printing

difficulty
●●○○○
time
an evening
license
TAPR Open Hardware License
repo
repo ACTIVE1,018 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
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COMPAREE VERDICT

The Glia stethoscope is a fully documented build from a project that has been maintained since 2013, and the repository holds everything: printable files, a precise parts list, print settings and assembly steps with a linked video. The build itself is straightforward: print the head, two ear tubes, the Y-piece, the spring and the ring at 100% infill, add silicone tubing, a 40 mm diaphragm cut from a report cover and standard earbuds, and assemble. The one hard requirement is the infill: anything less and the stethoscope will not produce a correct sound. The maintainers also avoid PLA because it deforms in heat and the spring fails early; they use PETG or ABS. The performance claim is grounded: a peer-reviewed PLOS ONE paper by the team found it performs as well as the Littmann Cardiology III, and the test recordings and spectra are in the repository. The project puts the cost at 2.50 to 5 dollars. This is for someone who wants a working stethoscope for home, teaching or field use and has a printer; it is not a certified clinical instrument.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —STL files for all printed parts are in the repository.
  • —The bill of materials names two silicone tube sizes (8 mm and 4 mm ID), a 40 mm diaphragm cut from a ~0.35 mm report cover, and standard large earbuds.
  • —Assembly is a short step list in the README plus a linked instructional video.
  • —The peer-reviewed comparison to the Littmann Cardiology III is a PLOS ONE paper linked in the README.
  • —Licence is the TAPR Open Hardware License, which allows commercial use but asks that distributed modifications stay under the same licence; the README says it applies 'insofar as' hardware is covered at all.
  • —A home-printed copy is not a certified medical device. The linked PLOS ONE paper says the Glia stethoscope is a class I device under Health Canada and FDA rules and that a non-profit manufacturer holds a Health Canada Medical Device Establishment Licence; that covers their production, not your build.

Parts to buy

2 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • 40 mm diaphragm cut from a ~0.35 mm report coverFind
  • Large standard earbudsFind

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Can I build this?

PrintHead, two ear tubes, Y-piece, spring and ring (STL and ready 3MF files in the repo), PETG or ABS, 100% infill required
Buy50 cm of silicone tube (8 mm ID, 13 mm OD) and 20 cm of silicone tube (4 mm ID, 8 mm OD), a 40 mm diaphragm cut from a ~0.35 mm report cover, large standard earbuds
Tools3D printer, basic hand tools for assembly
SkillsBeginner — straightforward print and assembly, but infill setting is critical
TimePrint time (varies by printer) plus one hour assembly
Cost2.50 dollars to 5 dollars in parts, plus filament
SafetyNone beyond ordinary tool handling — no electronics, no batteries, no mains voltage.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

Glia's own assembly video, linked from the README as the official assembly instructions.

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Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Read the assembly instructions in the README (Covers the full parts list and build sequence)
  2. 2.Print all parts at 100% infill(PETG or ABS recommended; PLA deforms in heat and the spring fails early)
  3. 3.Source the tubing, diaphragm material, and earbuds(Exact sizes are in the BOM; report cover plastic works for the diaphragm)
  4. 4.Assemble following the instructions(Follow the video and step list, then test it as per the validation instructions.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • Printing at less than 100% infill ruins the acoustics — the chamber has to be solid or the diaphragm coupling fails.
  • PLA deforms in heat and the spring mechanism fails early; use PETG or ABS instead.
  • Cut the 40 mm diaphragm from roughly 0.35 mm report-cover plastic as the BOM specifies; a craft circle punch makes a clean edge.
  • Earbuds have to be large standard size; small or non-standard fittings will not seal.
  • Your own print is not a certified medical device. The team's paper describes the Glia design as a class I device made under a Health Canada establishment licence by a non-profit manufacturer, but that does not extend to a copy printed at home, and there is no CE mark.
  • The peer-reviewed comparison says on par with the Littmann, never better — do not upgrade that claim.

How does this compare to a clinical stethoscope?

A peer-reviewed PLOS ONE paper by the project team, linked in the README, found it performs as well as the Littmann Cardiology III. The project puts the parts cost at 2.50 to 5 dollars.

Can I use PLA?

It works, but the maintainers avoid it: PLA deforms in heat and the printed spring fails early, so the stethoscope's lifetime drops significantly. They use PETG or ABS.

What happens if I print at less than 100% infill?

The stethoscope will not produce a correct sound. The acoustic chamber has to be solid or the diaphragm coupling does not work.

Is this a certified medical device?

Not the one you print. The team's PLOS ONE paper, linked from the README, says the Glia stethoscope is a class I medical device under Health Canada and FDA rules and that a non-profit set up to manufacture it holds a Medical Device Establishment Licence from Health Canada. A copy you print at home has none of that: there is no CE mark and no certification for your own build, so treat it as a teaching or field tool, not a certified clinical instrument.

Where do I get the diaphragm?

Cut a 40mm circle from a thin, flexible plastic — a report cover works. The exact material is called out in the BOM.

Community builds

No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.

Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

The infill setting is the hard line — 100% or the acoustics fail. Have you printed anything else where a slicer default ruined the function?

CompareeTEAM2mo agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: the peer-reviewed comparison is real — the PLOS ONE paper is linked in the README, and its drafts and reviewer responses sit in the repository — but it was written by the people behind the project, so treat it as the project's own validation rather than an independent test. The README says the result works as well as a Littmann Cardiology III, and the repository includes the spectrum data and recordings used for that comparison. There are no photos of a finished build in the repository; assembly is covered by a linked instructional video plus a short step list. The one thing that surprised us: the README advises against PLA, because heat deformation and spring failure shorten the stethoscope's life, and names PETG or ABS instead, which is rare honesty in a maker project. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

Glia

The project started in Gaza, where medical supply blockades left clinicians without basic diagnostic tools. The design has been maintained since 2013 and the files are published under the TAPR Open Hardware License.

GitHub

Star the project on GitHub

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  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
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