US 11,696,680 B2
Ear examination apparatus
Daniel Stuart Elson, London (GB); Miroslav Janatka, London (GB); Taranjit Singh Tatla, London (GB); Arvind Singh, London (GB); and Savram Krishan Ramdoo, London (GB)
Assigned to IP2IPO Innovations Limited, London (GB)
Appl. No. 16/772,445
Filed by IP2IPO INNOVATIONS LIMITED, London (GB)
PCT Filed Dec. 11, 2018, PCT No. PCT/GB2018/053594
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 12, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/116024, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 20, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 1720758 (GB), filed on Dec. 13, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0068645 A1, Mar. 11, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 1/227 (2006.01); A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/04 (2006.01); A61B 1/32 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/34 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/227 (2013.01) [A61B 1/00066 (2013.01); A61B 1/00101 (2013.01); A61B 1/042 (2013.01); A61B 1/32 (2013.01); A61B 5/6898 (2013.01); A61B 17/3421 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ear examination tool comprising:
a handle;
a spacing element coupled to the handle and extending from the handle, the spacing element having a distal end and a proximal end;
a speculum mount coupled to the handle at the distal end of the spacing element, the speculum mount configured for retaining a speculum; and
a smartphone mount coupled to the spacing element at the proximal end of the spacing element,
the spacing element configured to maintain an optical separation distance between the speculum mount and the smartphone mount along a central axis of the speculum mount,
wherein the speculum mount, the spacing element and the smartphone mount are configured to provide an optical path from the smartphone mount to and along the central axis of the speculum mount, while allowing a clear space for access by a microsuction device into and through a speculum when mounted to the speculum mount, from a position between the speculum mount and the smartphone mount and at an oblique angle to the optical path,
in which the handle extends from the distal end of the spacing element in a direction generally orthogonal to the optical path, or in which the handle extends along the spacing element.