Otoscope providing low obstruction electronic display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11576567-B2
Application number	US-201715856865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 25, 2015
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

An otoscope provides a circular display allowing a compact housing providing improved simultaneous viewing of the display and the patient's ear for improved positioning and stabilization of the otoscope. A recorded image may be rotationally corrected, and non-image data displayed on the screen may be rotationally corrected with the use of an inclinometer.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. An otoscope comprising:
a housing adapted for support by a hand of a healthcare professional with the housing in an inspection position adjacent to an outer ear of a patient; an elongate probe element having a proximal end supported by the housing so that a distal end of the elongate probe element may extend rigidly from the proximal end to the distal end along a linear axis into an ear canal of the patient; an electronic camera supported by the distal end of the elongate probe element for viewing into the ear canal when the distal end of the probe element is positioned in the ear canal of the outer ear; a circular electronic display communicating with the electronic camera and having a display area defining an outer circular periphery displaying an otoscope image taken by the electronic camera and spaced from the distal end of the elongate probe along the linear axis and centered along the linear axis to extend outwardly a substantially same distance at all angles perpendicular to the linear axis; and a processor executing a stored program for displaying non-otoscope image data in a peripheral ring about the otoscope image wherein the non-otoscope image data includes an arcuate bar display whose angular extent indicates data and wherein the arcuate bar is located against and conforming to an outer periphery of the circular electronic display.

2. The otoscope of claim 1 wherein the housing and the circular electronic display is circumscribed by a cone having an apex at the distal end of the probe and a conical angle of less than 45 degrees.

3. The otoscope of claim 1 wherein the circular electronic display extends less than 1.25 inch from the linear axis at all angles perpendicular to linear axis.

4. The otoscope of claim 1 wherein the circular electronic display provides a touchscreen for sensing touches on a surface of the circular electronic display wherein the arcuate bar display represents a video sequence of images taken from the electronic camera and wherein a touch along the arcuate bar display selects an image from the video sequence for display.

5. The otoscope of claim 1 further including a display indicating a left or right ear recorded indicator to the image.

6. An otoscope comprising: a housing adapted for support by a hand of a healthcare professional with the housing in an inspection position adjacent to an outer ear of a patient; an elongate probe element having a proximal end supported by the housing so that a distal end of the elongate probe element may extend rigidly from the proximal end to the distal end along a linear axis into an ear canal of the patient; an electronic camera supported by the distal end of the elongate probe element for viewing into the ear canal when the distal end of the probe element is positioned in the ear canal of the outer ear; and a circular electronic display communicating with the electronic camera and having a display area defining an outer circular periphery displaying an otoscope image taken by the electronic camera and spaced from the distal end of the elongate probe along the linear axis and centered along the linear axis to extend outwardly a substantially same distance at all angles perpendicular to the linear axis; a processor executing a stored program for displaying non-otoscope image data in a peripheral ring about the otoscope image; an electronic inclinometer for changing at least one of an orientation of the non-otoscope image data on the circular electronic display and a recorded image according to a deduced gravitational vector.

7. The otoscope of claim 1 wherein the housing provides a display portion holding the circular electronic display and elongate probe, and a handle portion extending away from the linear axis to be held by a healthcare professional and wherein the display portion is mechanically and electrically releasably attachable to the handle portion by means of a twist lock coupling.

8. An otoscope comprising: a housing adapted for support by a hand of a healthcare professional with the housing in an inspection position adjacent to an outer ear of a patient; an elongate probe element having a proximal end supported by the housing so that a distal end of the elongate probe element may extend rigidly from the proximal end to the distal end along a linear axis into an ear canal of the patient; an electronic camera supported by the distal end of the elongate probe element for viewing into the ear canal when the distal end of the probe element is positioned in the ear canal of the outer ear; and a circular electronic display communicating with the electronic camera and having a display area defining an outer circular periphery displaying an otoscope image taken by the electronic camera and spaced from the distal end of the elongate probe along the linear axis and centered along the linear axis to extend outwardly a substantially same distance at all angles perpendicular to the linear axis; wherein the housing provides a display portion holding the circular electronic display and elongate probe, and a handle portion extending away from the linear axis to be held by a healthcare professional and wherein the display portion is mechanically and electrically releasably attachable to the handle portion by means of a twist lock coupling; wherein the handle portion provides an operator controlling electrical power delivered to the display portion and wherein the handle portion provides a collar fitting over the operator to prevent movement of the operator.

9. The otoscope of claim 8 wherein the collar portion includes a rheostat engagement surface turning the operator to a full power position with rotation of the twist lock coupling for engagement.

10. The otoscope of claim 8 wherein the display portion includes a releasable adapter portion releasably receiving the handle portion.

11. An otoscope comprising: a housing adapted for support by a hand of a healthcare professional with the housing in an inspection position adjacent to an outer ear of a patient; an elongate probe element having a proximal end supported by the housing so that a distal end of the elongate probe element may extend rigidly from the proximal end to the distal end along a linear axis into an ear canal of the patient; an electronic camera supported by the distal end of the elongate probe element for viewing into the ear canal when the distal end of the probe element is positioned in the ear canal of the outer ear; and a circular electronic display communicating with the electronic camera and having a display area defining an outer circular periphery displaying an otoscope image taken by the electronic camera and spaced from the distal end of the elongate probe along the linear axis and centered along the linear axis to extend outwardly a substantially same distance at all angles perpendicular to the linear axis; a set of light sources supported by the distal end of the elongate probe element for illuminating the ear canal when the distal end of the probe element is positioned in the ear canal; a replaceable tubular sheath sized to fit within in the ear canal and to receive the elongate probe element therein, the distal end of the tubular sheath providing a transparent window covering allowing imaging therethrough and a proximal end of the tubular sheath providing a connection to the housing providing a spring biasing of the window against the distal end of the probe element; wherein the proximal ends of the light sources and electronic camera are configured to eliminate a path of internal reflection between the light sources and the electronic camera from the window when the window is pulled against the distal end of the probe element.

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Assignees

• Wisconsin Alumni Res Found

Inventors

• Rebella Greg
• Berbee James
• Hamedani Azita
• Loper Cameron

Classifications

• A61B1/00082

  Balloons · CPC title

• A61B1/00094

  Suction openings · CPC title

• A61B1/227 Primary

  for ears, i.e. otoscopes · CPC title

• A61B1/00052

  positioned at proximal end of the endoscope body · CPC title

• A61B1/015

  Control of fluid supply or evacuation · CPC title