Otoscopes

An Otoscope is generally referred to as a device used to examine the auditory canal, but slight arrangements and modifications can make otoscope useful for examining the nasal cavity and the throat as well.
The ear, nose, and throat passages are connected in a way that the three passages converge at a meeting point inside. This anatomical ‘confluence’ makes the other two highly susceptible to infection if one of them has got infected. Therefore all the three passages are required to be examined even though the patient complains of some problem in the ear only.
An otoscope has two major parts which can be attached together - handle and head.   Handle is a multi-purpose cylindrical base which is held in the hand to control the movements of the otoscope. The head is the actual otoscope which is attached to the handle. At the front end of the head a video camera and a light source are installed. In the rudimentary and cheaper version there is a magnifying lens instead of the camera.   A speculum can be attached at the front end of the otoscope which is then inserted into the ear.
Specula of different size and thickness are available. Different specula can be tried with the same otoscope depending upon the requirement, i.e. the suitable speculum is chosen depending upon whether the nasal cavity is required to be examined or the throat. But in this case the utility of the device can be extended successfully only up to a certain extent , i.e. by only changing the speculum the nasal cavity and the throat can be examined only up to  a certain deeper level only and that too only with lesser adequacy. To examine the throat deeply and properly an endoscope is required.
Generally ENT otoscopes are sold as part of a kit that includes other diagnostics devices and ophthalmoscope.
Nowadays otoscopes are designed in such a way so that, apart from their main purpose of examining the outer and middle ear canal, they can also be used to to examine the nasal cavity and the throat when only a minor and not very deep examination is required.
When using the otoscope for ENT purposes extra care should be given to maintain proper hygiene and cleanliness. An ENT specialist can’t work without an otoscope so he can not afford to compromise on the quality and utility of the device.