Otoscope

An otoscope is a medical device that physicians use to visualise the ear, in order to diagnose an ear infection.

This device has a light which it shines into the ear, helping the doctor to visualise the ear canal and the eardrum, so as to determine whether there is an infection.

An otoscope can also be called an auriscope or an ear speculum.

The examination one has to undergo with the help of an otoscope is called otoscopy.

Otoscopy is a medical procedure usually defined as the visual examination of the ear using an otoscope. This examination is also called auriscopy.

It is performed during medical cases that involve defects and infections of the ear to figure out the cause of these infections or defects.

History of Otoscope: The Invention and Inventor of Otoscope

The history of the otoscope dates back to France in 1363, when a great French physician and surgeon named Guy de Chauliac imagined a device that could assist in diagnosing patients with ear and nose pains, although the device was not invented in his time.

In the 1600s and 1700s, respectively, a German surgeon, Wilhelm Fabry, and a medical device salesman named J.J. Perret made the first prototypes of the otoscope device. The shape of the first otoscope was like a pair of tongs, very different from the modern otoscope we see today.

The first modern otoscope was developed by Wilhelm Kramer, a renowned German otologist in the 19th century.

His otoscope was made of steel and had a funnel end. This device was then known as Kramer’s speculum and was the otoscope device that physicians used until the year 1881, before a similar design to the present-day otoscope was created by Hartmann A.

Hartmann’s otoscope was made up of a long handle and had a magnifier on its head through which the physician looked to examine the patient’s ear.

The otoscope device presents a safe way of examining a patient’s ear and nose without inflicting damage on the ear or nose.

Today, Hartmann’s otoscope has been reformed, producing better designs and presenting many advantages. With advances in technology, today’s otoscopes can diagnose complex ear complications easily.

Structure of an Otoscope

The simple structure of an otoscope consists of a light, a magnifying lens, and a viewing piece, shaped like a funnel with a very narrow and pointed end, called the speculum.

The otoscope is held by the doctor with one of his or her hands while the second hand is used to gently pull the outer ear upwards and backwards. This makes the ear canal straighten and open up, allowing the doctor to have a good sight of the inner ear.

The different parts of an otoscope and their uses include:

• Specula (or the ear tips): This part of the otoscope allows a safe visualisation of the inner ear.

• The otoscope head: The head of the otoscope is designed for easy and safe examination of the ear, the nose, or the throat.

There are two types of otoscope heads: the diagnostic head and the working head. The diagnostic head is fixed to the otoscope, and it does not permit the use of micro-instruments through the otoscope, while the working head contains a magnifying lens which slides to the side, thereby permitting the use of micro-instruments through the speculum into the ear.

• Magnifying lens: The magnifying lens of the otoscope is graduated 3x or 4x to enable better visualisation of the ear, nose, or throat. It helps to magnify the view of the clinician, allowing him to have a better look into the ear.

• The handle: This is where the otoscope is held when it is being used.

Types of Otoscope

There are three types of otoscopes:

• Video Otoscope

These otoscopes are used with a computer or a monitor where they display videos of the ear in real-time as they are being examined.

• Pocket Otoscope

These are small otoscopes. They are very portable and light in weight when compared to other otoscopes.

They are designed to fit into the pocket. With a few exceptions, most pocket otoscopes use batteries. These batteries (usually alkaline) help to power the handles of their handles.

• Full-sized Otoscopes

This is the last type of otoscope. This category of otoscopes is composed of very large and bulky otoscopes.

They are more sophisticated than the other categories of otoscopes and are not portable.

Their head and handles are removable and can be replaced if there is damage to any of them.

Conclusion

An otoscope is a medical device that has existed for centuries. It is one of the devices that made medical practice much easier, as there are fewer assumptions today about the cause of an ear defect or an ear infection due to the clarity that the device brings to physicians.

The scientist who invented the otoscope was Wilhelm Fabry in the 1600s, followed by J.J. Perret, who made another prototype in the 1700s.

Otoscopes can be used to examine the canals of the ears, nasal cavities of the nose, as well as throat.

An otoscope finds applications in several areas of health, thereby making its invention a very valuable one.