HAND-HELD EAR VACUUM WITH CAMERA AND VIDEO DISPLAY

• US 20120059224A1
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alexander Wellen, Vap J. Gordon
• Original Assignee: Alexander Wellen, Vap J. Gordon
• Inventors: Wellen, Alexander, Vap, J. Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 8,876,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/06 with illuminating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/227 for ears, i.e. otoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/2275 with controlled air pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/006 Ear cleaners, e.g. curettes cotton tips A61F13/38; cleaning by suction A61M1/71, by irrigation A61M3/02

Abstract

An ear speculum that includes a body having an ear-contacting tip with an opening; a light providing member; a viewing member; and a vacuum intake port, wherein the members and intake port are provided within the ear speculum with the vacuum intake port occupying a larger portion of the of the cross-sectional area of the ear speculum opening than the light providing or viewing members to facilitate removal of material from an ear canal. Also, an otoscope that includes a head; an ear speculum as described herein in operative association with the head; an image detector in image communication with the viewing member; a suction source in vacuum communication with the vacuum intake port; and a light source in illumination communication with the light providing member. Also, a system and method for removing material or debris from an ear canal using the otoscope described herein.

Claims

1. An ear speculum comprising:

a body having an ear-contacting tip with an opening;

a light providing member;

a viewing member; and

a vacuum intake port, wherein the members and intake port are provided within the ear speculum with the vacuum intake port occupying a larger portion of the of the cross-sectional area of the ear speculum opening than the light providing or viewing members to facilitate removal of material from an ear canal.

2. The ear speculum of claim 1, wherein the light providing member comprises optical fibers;

the viewing member comprises a lens; and

wherein the vacuum intake port occupies at least 50% of the cross-sectional area of the ear-contacting tip opening.

3. An otoscope comprising:

a head;

an ear speculum of claim 1 in operative association with the head;

an image detector in image communication with the viewing member;

a suction source in vacuum communication with the vacuum intake port; and

a light source in illumination communication with the light providing member.

4. The otoscope of claim 3, which further comprises:

a collection chamber in vacuum communication with both the suction source and vacuum intake port, wherein the vacuum intake port is in vacuum communication with the suction source through the collection chamber.

5. The otoscope of claim 4, wherein the head is configured and dimensioned to house the suction source and collection chamber.

6. The otoscope of claim 4, wherein the collection chamber is configured and dimensioned such that material suctioned through the vacuum intake port from an ear becomes trapped within the collection chamber before reaching the vacuum source.

7. The otoscope of claim 3, which further comprises:

a display for presenting an image obtained by the viewing member;

optical components for adjusting the view obtained by the viewing member; and

a power source operatively connected to the suction source, light source, image detector and display.

8. The otoscope of claim 7, which further comprises controls for adjusting the suction source, light source, optical components and display.

9. The otoscope of claim 7, which further comprises a base connected to and in communication with the head, wherein the base is configured and dimensioned to house the suction source, the monitor and the power source, and the suction source is in vacuum communication with the vacuum intake port through the collection chamber.

10. The otoscope of claim 7, wherein the optical components include a wide angle lens or a zoom lens.

11. The otoscope of claim 3, wherein the vacuum port occupies at least 50% of the cross-sectional area of the ear-contacting tip opening.

12. The otoscope of claim 3, wherein the light providing member, the viewing member and the vacuum intake port are arranged concentrically within the ear-contacting tip, and

the vacuum port occupies at least 70% of the cross-sectional area of the ear-contacting tip opening, and the viewing member is positioned at the center of the ear-contacting tip.

13. The otoscope of claim 3, wherein the viewing member and light providing member are arranged adjacent and parallel within the ear-contacting tip.

14. A system for removing material from an ear canal, comprising:

an otoscope having a head;

an ear speculum of claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the ear speculum is in operative association with the head, and there is an opening at the distal end of the ear-contacting tip;

a vacuum intake port within the ear-contacting tip;

a suction source in vacuum communication with the vacuum intake port, wherein the suction is sufficient to remove any observed material from the ear canal;

a light providing member within the ear-contacting tip;

a viewing member within the ear-contacting tip;

a collection chamber in vacuum communication with both the suction source and vacuum intake port, wherein the vacuum intake port is in vacuum communication with the suction source through the collection chamber;

a light source in illumination communication with the light providing member;

optics that can obtain and transfer an image of the ear canal to a camera;

a base connected to and in communication with the otoscope;

a display within the base that presents the image obtained by the camera;

a power source within the base electrically connected to the suction source, light source and display; and

,

controls for adjusting the suction, illumination and display.

15. A method of extracting debris from an ear canal comprising:

providing an otoscope of claim 7;

inserting the ear-contacting tip into a user'"'"'s ear canal;

observing the interior of the user'"'"'s ear canal on a display

turning on a suction source to generate a vacuum;

vacuum debris from the user'"'"'s ear canal while viewing the ear canal on a display; and

trapping debris vacuumed from the user'"'"'s ear canal.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the debris is collected in a collection chamber in the head of the otoscope.