# US 2017/0280985 A1 · Auditory canal cleaning tool and auditory canal observing tool > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0280985 A1 - Document ID: US20170280985A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/271,352 - Filed: 2016-09-21 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31 - Assignees: Coden Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Coden Co., Ltd. - Inventors: YOSHIHARU KODA; Kojiro KODA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170280985A1 ## CPC - A61B 1/227: for ears, i.e. otoscopes - A61B 1/00094: {Suction openings} - A61B 1/00142: {with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath} - A61B 1/015: Control of fluid supply or evacuation - A61B 1/05: characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion - A61B 1/07: using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres - A61B 1/127: {with means for preventing fogging (A61B1/253 takes precedence)} - A61B 1/128: {provided with means for regulating temperature} - A61F 11/006: {Ear cleaners, e.g. curettes (cotton tips A61F13/38; cleaning by suction A61M1/71, by irrigation A61M3/02)} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract Foreign matters of variable size in the interior of one's auditory canal are removed infallibly. An image capturing tube 220 adapted to be inserted into one's auditory canal to output an image of an interior of the auditory canal, a suction tube 230 provided along the image capturing tube 220 to suck a foreign matter in the interior of the auditory canal, and a main body unit 200 provided with the image capturing tube 220 and the suction tube 230 are included. The image capturing tube 220 includes a camera 240 adapted to capture the image of the interior of the auditory canal, and to a tip end of the suction tube 230, a dust collecting tube 232 is attached. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An auditory canal cleaning tool comprising: an image capturing tube adapted to be inserted into one's auditory canal to output an image of an interior of the auditory canal; a suction tube provided along the image capturing tube to suck a foreign matter in the interior of the auditory canal; and a main body unit provided with the image capturing tube and the suction tube, wherein the image capturing tube includes a camera adapted to capture the image of the interior of the auditory canal, and to a tip end of the suction tube, a dust collecting tube is attached. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The auditory canal cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the dust collecting tube includes an inserting portion into which the image capturing tube is to be inserted, and by having the suction tube inserted into one end of the dust collecting tube and having the image capturing tube inserted into the inserting portion, the dust collecting tube is attached to the suction tube in a fixed manner. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The auditory canal cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the suction tube passes from a front side to an inside of the main body unit and projects to a rear side, and a tube connected to an external suction pump is inserted into a projecting part of the suction tube to the rear side, an external surface of the main body unit has a suction pressure adjusting hole adapted to adjust a suction force of the suction tube, and the suction pressure adjusting hole communicates with the suction tube. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The auditory canal cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing tube has a double-pipe structure in which an outer circumferential pipe has inserted therein an inner circumferential pipe having a shorter outside diameter than an inside diameter of the outer circumferential pipe, between the outer circumferential pipe and the inner circumferential pipe, a plurality of linear optical fibers illuminating the interior of the auditory canal are arranged along an outer circumference of the inner circumferential pipe, the camera is arranged in the inner circumferential pipe, and the main body unit has built therein a light source supplying the optical fibers with light for illuminating the interior of the auditory canal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The auditory canal cleaning tool according to claim 4, wherein a heater heating the camera is arranged in the inner circumferential pipe or at an outer circumference of the outer circumferential pipe. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The auditory canal cleaning tool according to claim 5, wherein the heater is connected to an external heater control section, and a temperature of the heater is controlled by the heater control section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The auditory canal cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the camera is connected to an external image processing section in a wired or wireless manner. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The auditory canal cleaning tool according to claim 7, wherein, in a case in which the camera and the image processing section are connected in a wired manner, a cable connected to the camera is connected to the image processing section via a connecting tool, and in a case in which the camera and the image processing section are connected in a wireless manner, a transmitting section provided in the camera and a receiving section provided in the image processing section are connected via a radio wave or light. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The auditory canal cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein, to the main body unit, an ear pick portion scraping out the foreign matter in the interior of the auditory canal can be attached, and the camera causes an image of a tip end part of a scraping portion located at one end of the ear pick portion to be partially viewed in the image of the interior of the auditory canal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The auditory canal cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the main body unit includes a handle portion supporting the main body unit. ### Claim 11 An auditory canal observing tool comprising: an image capturing tube adapted to be inserted into one's auditory canal to output an image of an interior of the auditory canal; and a main body unit provided with the image capturing tube, wherein the image capturing tube includes a camera adapted to capture the image of the interior of the auditory canal and a heater heating the camera. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The auditory canal observing tool according to claim 11, wherein the image capturing tube has a double-pipe structure in which an outer circumferential pipe has inserted therein an inner circumferential pipe having a shorter outside diameter than an inside diameter of the outer circumferential pipe, between the outer circumferential pipe and the inner circumferential pipe, a plurality of linear optical fibers illuminating the interior of the auditory canal are arranged along an outer circumference of the inner circumferential pipe, and the camera is arranged in the inner circumferential pipe. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The auditory canal observing tool according to claim 12, wherein the heater is arranged in the inner circumferential pipe or at an outer circumference of the outer circumferential pipe. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The auditory canal observing tool according to claim 11, wherein the heater is connected to an external heater control section, and a temperature of the heater is controlled by the heater control section. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The auditory canal observing tool according to claim 13, wherein the main body unit has built therein a light source supplying the optical fibers with light for illuminating the interior of the auditory canal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The auditory canal observing tool according to claim 11, wherein the camera is connected to an external image processing section in a wired or wireless manner. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The auditory canal observing tool according to claim 16, wherein, in a case in which the camera and the image processing section are connected in a wired manner, a cable connected to the camera is connected to the image processing section via a connecting tool, and in a case in which the camera and the image processing section are connected in a wireless manner, a transmitting section provided in the camera and a receiving section provided in the image processing section are connected via a radio wave or light.