Researchers develop new portable tool to revolutionise ear health

NEW DELHI: A newly developed portable otoscope -- a tool that offers a constrained view of the surface of the eardrum -- may help doctors identify ear problems better than before, said researchers.

An otoscope is a tool that shines a beam of light to help visualise and examine the condition of the ear canal and eardrum.

The new portable OCT otoscope can enhance diagnostic capabilities in hearing clinics by fusing optical coherence tomography (OCT) with the conventional otoscope, said the team from the Caruso Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Southern California (USC) in the US.

The integrated gadget, as described in the Journal of Biomedical Optics, enables doctors to get precise images of the middle ear and eardrum surface as well as their deeper structures, providing a more complete picture of the condition of the ears to enhance diagnostic precision.

Conventional otoscopes are limited to a cursory inspection of the eardrum, frequently overlooking more profound diseases.

On the other hand, the OCT otoscope provides a crisper and more comprehensive image that can aid in the diagnosis of diseases that were previously overlooked by combining the well-known otoscopic view with high-resolution imaging of the inner structures of the eardrum and middle ear.

In more than a hundred patients, the OCT otoscope was tested by researchers during a clinical study conducted at USC’s Keck Hospital.

The tests show that pathological characteristics that were previously unseen with traditional otoscopy can be shown with the novel technology.

Retraction pockets, myringitis monitoring, eardrum perforation healing, and subsurface scarring/air pockets are among the clinical applications of the tool, the study noted.

The novel imaging system also revealed several critical conditions that were not visible with conventional methods, providing important information for better management and treatment of ear diseases.

The OCT otoscope's design facilitates a smooth integration into current clinical procedures, with an intuitive interface that is operated by a foot pedal to acquire images.

Because of its user-friendly design, physicians can easily adopt the gadget, giving them better ideas for diagnosing ear problems.