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An otoscope is a medical instrument used to see inside the ear. It has a speculum attachment at the end to hold the ear canal open and comes in various sizes. The speculum can be disposable or reusable after sterilization.
An otoscope is an instrument that allows a doctor to see inside the ear. To do this, the otoscope must hold the ear canal open, and the speculum attachment at the end of the otoscope performs this function, typically as a cone-like plastic object strong enough to stretch the muscles of the open ear canal. Otoscope speculums can be disposable or reusable once sterilized.
The human ear canal is a hollow tube that twists slightly inside the head. Various medical problems can affect the ear, from temporary deafness caused by impacted earwax, to bursting eardrums and ear infections. To diagnose the exact problem affecting the ear, a doctor typically inserts an otoscope into the ear. This is a magnifying instrument with a light source, as the inside of the ear canal doesn’t let in much light, and the otoscope body itself prevents natural light from illuminating the canal.
At the front of the otoscope is the speculum, also called the cone after its appearance. The narrow end goes into the ear and the portion that stays outside is larger, so it doesn’t accidentally get stuck inside the canal. A typical adult ear canal is about 0.8 cm long, and otoscope speculums help keep the canal walls apart so the doctor can see deep inside the ear. Only the speculum portion of the otoscope is typically inserted into the ear, and the doctor holds the body of the otoscope out of the body.
Otoscope speculums come in a variety of diameters, to fit a variety of ears. This is necessary because children, for example, have smaller ear canals than adults. A speculum that is too large may cause pain, while a speculum that is too small may be useless in keeping the ear canal open. A typical diameter range for otoscope speculums is about 0.1 to 0.2 inches (3 to 5 mm).
Commonly, otoscope mirrors are made of plastic, due to its ease of cleaning and its resistance to breakage. Sometimes an otoscope has a speculum on the end which can be removed after use on a particular patient for cleaning and sterilization, before being used on another patient. Alternatively, a clinician may choose to use disposable speculum, which can be thrown away after one use and replaced with a new speculum.
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