Career
The name Littmann is well known in the medical field for the patented Littmann Stethoscope reputed for its acoustic performances for auscultation. With Gus Machlup, Doctor David Littmann founded Cardiosonics, Incorporated. to sell his stethoscopes. At that time the stethoscope line consisted of two key models, the doctor"s stethoscope and the nurse"s stethoscope.
3M acquired the stethoscope company on April 1, 1967, and hired Doctor Littmann as a consultant.
3M currently produces the range of Littmann brand stethoscopes. The 1960s-era Littman Cardiology 3 stethoscope, which is out of patent, became the basis of a 3D-printed stethoscope developed by Doctor Tarek Loubani and a team of medical and technology specialists as part of the open source Glia project