Otoscope for travel kit. Traditional vs digital?

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JimBabcock

Registered
Messages
37
Reaction score
3
Location
Houston, TX
# of dives
200 - 499
I want to add an otoscope to my travel kit. When I was in practice we used the Welch & Allen direct viewing scopes but now I see digital units that interface with your iPhone. Anybody have any thoughts on these vs the traditional scopes we were trained with?
 
I bought one of these just to show patients and parents what their ears look like. It turns out that it won't work with an iPhone, only Android, but it works fine with a mac laptop.

Pros:

1) Fairly hight quality images, with good illumination
2) Cheap! ($32) Much less than a Welch Allyn scope, especially one of the good ones.
3) Ability to record images and send them to others (telemedicine)

Cons:

1) Need a laptop or compatible phone
2) Uncomfortable. Since it's not a tapered otoscope speculum, there is a sharp edge. It's fine if you have a very large ear canal with a very stable and cooperative patient, but can be difficult to get close to the TM.
3) If there is any cerumen in the way, it's much easier to get past it to check the TM with a tapered otoscope speculum.

Maybe there is some way of attaching a speculum to this thing, but that might degrade the image. Haven't tried that.

Here, check out my surfer's ear...


MR_AD_20181108.jpg
 
I bought one of these just to show patients and parents what their ears look like. It turns out that it won't work with an iPhone, only Android, but it works fine with a mac laptop.

Pros:

1) Fairly hight quality images, with good illumination
2) Cheap! ($32) Much less than a Welch Allyn scope, especially one of the good ones.
3) Ability to record images and send them to others (telemedicine)

Cons:

1) Need a laptop or compatible phone
2) Uncomfortable. Since it's not a tapered otoscope speculum, there is a sharp edge. It's fine if you have a very large ear canal with a very stable and cooperative patient, but can be difficult to get close to the TM.
3) If there is any cerumen in the way, it's much easier to get past it to check the TM with a tapered otoscope speculum.

Maybe there is some way of attaching a speculum to this thing, but that might degrade the image. Haven't tried that.

Here, check out my surfer's ear...


View attachment 501296
 
Thanks. I’ve ordered the Depstech Wireless Otoscope and will report back. It supposedly is compatible with everything but we’ll see. And, oops!, the proper spelling of Welch Allyn is noted.
 
I still have my old Welch Allyn scope. I never knew that there were digital ones. I have not used it for a very long time since I switched specialties. :)
 
Thanks. I’ve ordered the Depstech Wireless Otoscope and will report back. It supposedly is compatible with everything but we’ll see. And, oops!, the proper spelling of Welch Allyn is noted.

OK, I'm in for another $38, will try that one out! Hey, this is a sport where you can spend $1400 on a flashlight... :)
 

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