Digital otoscope
An otoscope includes an instrument head, a tip element and an optical system. The instrument head has a distal insertion portion for insertion into an ear of a human or veterinary subject. The distal insertion portion has a distal opening. The tip element is releasably attached to the distal insertion portion. The tip element has a distal opening. The optical system is contained within the instrument head. The optical system includes a plurality of optical components. The optical system further comprises a viewing component for viewing of an image of a target of interest aligned along an optical axis disposed within said distal opening. The optical system is configured to provide a field of having a diameter equaling at least 7 mm at a distance of at least 15 mm from a distal opening of said attached tip element. The optical system is further configured to simultaneously provide a distance range of optimal focus having a range of at least 8 mm. The distance range of optimal focus includes a location at a working distance equal to about 30 mm.
1. An otoscope comprising:
a housing having an interior, said housing including a distal end and an opposing proximal end;
an optical system disposed within the interior of the housing and including at least one optical element fixedly disposed along an imaging axis;
an imager disposed along the imaging axis; and
a focusing mechanism configured to move the imager relative to the at least one optical element along the imaging axis, the focusing mechanism comprising:
a user focus adjustment knob on an exterior of the housing; and
an axially movable imager holder, and
wherein the housing further includes a focus position visual indicator that moves synchronously with the user focus adjustment knob.
2. The otoscope according to claim 1 , further comprising a view finder disposed in the proximal end of the housing, the view finder coupled to the imager for enabling a user to preview an image.
3. The otoscope according to claim 2 , wherein the imaging axis is folded to enable a copy of the image captured by the imager to be redirected to the view finder.
4. The otoscope according to claim 2 , wherein the viewfinder comprises a liquid crystal display.
5. The otoscope according to claim 1 , including a control button disposed on the proximal end of the housing for enabling multiple viewing modes.
6. The otoscope according to claim 5 , wherein the control button selectively enables a first viewing mode and a second zoom magnification mode.
7. The otoscope according to claim 6 , in which the zoom magnification mode magnifies a center portion of a default field of view of the imager obtained in the first viewing mode.
8. The otoscope according to claim 7 , wherein the center portion of the default field of view is approximately one half of the default field of view.
9. The otoscope according to claim 1 , further comprising an accelerometer adapted for detecting an orientation of the otoscope.
10. The otoscope according to claim 9 , wherein the accelerometer is coupled to the imager, the imager being configured to invert an image of a medical device captured along the imaging axis when the accelerometer detects the otoscope is in a reverse orientation.
11. The otoscope according to claim 1 , further comprising a microphone.
12. The otoscope according to claim 1 , further comprising a USB port.
13. The otoscope according to claim 12 , wherein the USB port is disposed at the proximal end of the housing.
14. The otoscope according to claim 1 , wherein the distal end includes a distal insertion portion configured for retaining a tip element.
15. The otoscope according to claim 14 , wherein the optical system includes an objective lens at the distal end of the housing, the optical system being configured to create a distal entrance pupil distal of the distal opening of the housing to enable the entire tympanic membrane of a subject within a field of view of the imager.