Patent Application
20180228358
This invention relates generally to the field of medical otoscopes, and more specifically to headset otoscopes.
An invention has been developed in response to present state of the art and, in particular, in response to problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available systems and methods. Accordingly, a headset otoscope has been developed. Features and advantages of different embodiments of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.
An otoscope apparatus is disclosed which, in general, includes a left-ear housing and a right-ear housing connected together by a tensioning band. The left-ear housing and right ear housing each include a light source and a camera. The left-ear and right-ear housings each include a speculum which corresponds to a user's left and right ear canals, respectively.
Each speculum may be attachable to and detachable from the left-ear and right-ear housings, respectively. Additionally, each speculum may have a shape which conforms to a portion of the user's left and right ear canals, respectively.
The otoscope may also include a controller. The controller may be electrically connected to each light source and each camera. The otoscope may further include a wireless transceiver. The wireless transceiver may be electrically connected to the controller. The otoscope may also include a wired communications port. The wired communications port may be electrically connected to the controller.
The otoscope may include a speaker. The otoscope may include a pump. The pump may be fluidly coupled to each speculum. Each speculum may include elastomeric material. Also, each speculum may include a pressure sensor. Each speculum may include a temperature sensor. The otoscope may include a light transceiver. The tensioning band may include an adjustment portion which has adjustable length.
Each speculum may include a lens. Each lens may be a magnifying lens, and each magnifying lens may be a Fresnel lens. Each speculum may include an optical fiber cable. Each speculum may include an acoustic transducer. Each speculum may include a force sensor. The left-ear housing and right-ear housing may each include a cushion.
A more particular description of the invention briefly described above is made below by reference to specific embodiments. Several embodiments are depicted in drawings included with this application, in which:
A detailed description of the claimed invention is provided below by example, with reference to embodiments in the appended figures. Those of skill in the art will recognize that the components of the invention as described by example in the figures below could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the detailed description of the embodiments in the figures is merely representative of embodiments of the invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed.
A user may place left-ear speculum 116 into his or her left ear canal and right-ear speculum 118 into his or her right ear canal. Light source 108 and light source 112 may illuminate the user's left and right ear canals, respectively. Camera 110 and camera 114 may subsequently capture images of the user's left and right ear canals, respectively. Camera 110 and camera 114 may each store the captured images in internal memory included in each. Camera 110 and camera 114 may each transfer the captured images wirelessly or via a wire to a peripheral device such as a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet, or a server.
Tensioning band 106 may bias left-ear housing 102 and right-ear housing 104 toward each other causing a resultant force acting on speculum 116 and a user's left ear and causing another resultant force acting on speculum 118 and a user's right ear. Left-ear housing 102 and right-ear housing 104 may include cushion 120 and cushion 122, respectively. Cushion 120 and cushion 122 may protect the user's respective ears from resultant forces caused by tensioning band 106. Tensioning band 106 may be made of any of a variety of materials, including metal, polymer, elastomer, and composite materials.
Light sources 108 and 112 may include any of a variety of light emitters, including light emitting diodes (LEDs), incandescent light bulbs, and fluorescent light bulbs. Left-ear housing 102 and right-ear housing 104 may passively direct light toward openings in speculum 116 and speculum 118, respectively. Left-ear housing 102 and right-ear housing 104 may include reflective inner surfaces which may redirect light from light source 108 and light source 112, respectively. Camera 110 and camera 114 may include film. Camera 110 and camera 114 may include any of a variety of image sensors, including charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors or complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensors.
Speculum 116 and speculum 118 may be made of any of a variety of materials, such as metal, polymer, elastomer, composite, ceramic, or acrylic materials.
Speculum 216 and speculum 218 may be manufactured to fit left-ear canal 228 and right-ear canal 230, respectively. Speculum 216 and speculum 218 may include a material such as an elastomer or foam which may conform to geometry of left-ear canal 228 and right-ear canal 230.
Left-ear speculum 316 may include force sensor 338. Right-ear speculum 318 may include force sensor 340. Force sensor 338 and force sensor 340 may be electrically connected to controller 332 via wires 336. Controller 332 may actuate light source 308 and light source 312 in response to signals sent from force sensor 338 and force sensor 340. Force sensor 338 and force sensor 340 may collect data, and may send the data to controller 332. Controller 332 may subsequently send the data via wireless transceiver 334 to a peripheral device or server.
Speculum 516 and speculum 518 may include a foam or elastomeric material. The foam or elastomeric material may change shape due to a pressure caused by pump 544 such that speculum 516 and speculum 518 may conform to geometry of a user's left-ear canal and right-ear canal, respectively. Otoscope apparatus 500 may include speaker 548. Speaker 548 may relay instructions to a user, such as directions for when to remove speculum 516 and speculum 518. Speculum 516 may include pressure sensor 550 and speculum 518 may include pressure sensor 552. Pressure sensor 550 and pressure sensor 552 may collect pressure data, and may relay pressure data back to pump 544 such that pump 544 will stop or start at preset values.
Light transceiver 758 and light transceiver 760 may utilize photoplethysmography to determine pulse rate or pulse wave velocity of a user (where pulse wave velocity is a measure of arterial stiffness). Photoplethysmography is a technique wherein a light transceiver illuminates skin of a person and measures changes in light absorption. The light absorption of the tissue changes with perfusion of blood to dermis and subcutaneous tissue. This perfusion occurs over time as a function of the user's heartbeat.
Speculum 716 may include acoustic transducer 762, and speculum 718 may include acoustic transducer 764. Acoustic transducer 762 and acoustic transducer 764 may emit sound waves into a left-ear canal and a right-ear canal of a user. Tissue and bone of a user may reflect the sound waves, and acoustic transducer 762 and acoustic transducer 764 may receive the reflected sound wave data. Acoustic transducer 762 and acoustic transducer 764 may subsequently send the sound wave data to controller 732 via wires 736. Controller 732 may store the sound wave data and may send the sound wave data to a peripheral device.
Optical fiber cable 1072 and optical fiber cable 1074 may transmit light from light source 1008 and light source 1012, respectively, to corresponding ear canals of a user. Optical fiber cable 1072 and optical fiber cable 1074 may be positioned along walls within speculum 1016 and speculum 1018 in order to provide an unobstructed view for camera 1010 and camera 1014, respectively. Light may subsequently be collected from corresponding ear canals of the user to camera 1010 and camera 1014, respectively. Speculum 1016 and speculum 1018 may each have an orifice or lens through which optical fiber cables 1072 and 1074 may transmit light, and/or through which light may be transmitted back to cameras 1010 and 1014, respectively.
