Otoscope and otoscopic method based on spectral analysis

A method of automatically identifying or locating an eardrum in a subject's outer ear, by means of an otoscope device, comprising the steps:

• providing an otoscope including:
• a head portion configured to be introduced in an ear canal of the subject's outer ear;
• an electronic and/or optic processing unit operable to determine spectral information;
• and
• at least one source of radiation connected to and controlled by the electronic and/or optic processing unit, the at least one source of radiation configured for emitting blue light and/or UV radiation;
• introducing the head portion into the ear canal of the subject's outer ear;
• introducing the at least one source of radiation into the ear canal and radiating the ear canal by means of the at least one source of radiation;
• determining and analyzing spectral information of reflected radiation by means of the electronic and/or optic processing unit;
• and
• automatically identifying or locating the eardrum by distinguishing the eardrum from surrounding tissue based on a specific amount of blue components and/or UV components of the reflected radiation from the subject's outer ear.

A method of automatically identifying a healthy eardrum in a subject's ear, comprising the steps:

• capturing at least one image of the subject's ear by means of an electronic imaging unit;
• determining spectral information by an electronic and/or optic processing unit;
• automatically identifying an eardrum shown in the at least one image by the electronic and/or optic processing unit in dependence on a specific amount of blue components and/or UV components of the image of the subject's ear;
• and
• automatically determining the eardrum as being a healthy eardrum in dependence on a spectral composition which exhibits a specific minimum amount of blue spectral components or spectral components having wavelengths shorter than 550 nm or 480 nm.

A method of automatically identifying an inflamed eardrum in a subject's ear, comprising the steps:

• capturing at least one image of the subject's ear by means of an electronic imaging unit;
• determining spectral information by means of the electronic and/or optic processing unit;
• automatically identifying the eardrum shown in the at least one image by electronic and/or optic processing unit;
• identifying the eardrum in dependence on a specific amount of blue components and/or UV components of the image or of radiation reflected from the eardrum;
• and
• determining the eardrum as being an inflamed eardrum in dependence on a spectral composition which exhibits a specific minimum amount of red spectral components or spectral components having wavelengths longer than 550 nm and/or a specific maximum amount of blue spectral components or spectral components having wavelengths shorter than 550 nm or 480 nm.