Posted November 2, 2011 • Atlanta, GA
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Abby Robinson
Research News and Publications
abby@innovate.gatech.edu
404-385-3364
A pediatric device that may be commercialized in the future is the RemOtoscope – a smartphone attachment designed for at-home ear examinations. Ear infections result in more than 15 million doctor office visits each year in the United States because diagnosing them requires direct observation of the child’s eardrum and ear canal with a device called an otoscope.
Wilbur Lam, an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University and the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University, envisions a physician remotely guiding placement of the device and diagnosing the condition via real-time video consultation with parents at home. Diagnosing ear infections at home could result in significant savings to the health care system.
The RemOtoscope attachment includes an illumination system that uses the smartphone’s flash as the light source, an optical system to provide magnification, and a software application to record data to the phone. With funding from the Atlanta Clinical & Translational Science Institute, Lam plans to solicit physician feedback, improve the device based on that feedback, and conduct a double-blind study assessing the diagnostic image quality of the device.
“Once we collect clinical data and quantify the diagnostic efficacy of the RemOtoscope as it compares to a conventional otoscope, we may be able to begin changing how ear infections are diagnosed and treated,” added Lam.
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