Disposable speculum with membrane bonding ring

A method of providing a barrier between a patient's external ear canal and an IR sensing probe of a tympanic thermometer while permitting infrared radiation emitted in the external ear canal to be received by the probe, the IR sensing probe having a forward end and the thermometer containing an IR sensor spaced from the forward end, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a membrane made of a stretchable plastic film which is substantially transparent to IR radiation over a predetermined range of wavelengths;
• providing a body portion having an opening sized for having the IR sensing probe inserted therethrough, the thin film membrane extending across the opening in the body portion;
• positioning the membrane adjacent the forward end of the probe of the tympanic thermometer;
• stretching the membrane a predetermined amount across the forward end of the probe to remove structural characteristics in the membrane that would interfere with measurement accuracy;
• holding the membrane stretched over the forward end of the probe;
• and
• partially inserting the forward end of the probe into an external ear canal of a patient with the membrane stretched over the forward end of the probe;
• whereby the stretched membrane provides a barrier between the patient's external ear canal and the probe of the tympanic thermometer while permitting infrared radiation emitted in the external ear canal to be received by the probe.