Video Otoscopy - COVID safety improvements

I am delighted to announce that my super new video otoscope has arrived.

I have never in my life bought cheap equipment (much to my husband's dismay) and have saved hard for the Otocam 300, which offers really good resolution images.

In a previous life, at a chain you really should not go to, I have used a terrible piece of equipment that would not show you a cholesteatoma even if it came up to the camera and waved at it. Seriously, a bad video otoscope is much worse than useless, it is dangerous.

But let's not think about that, because we have the Otocam 300! It is absolutely beautiful, and shows you in quite, quite disgusting detail the inside of your own body! I will be more than happy to show you the ear on screen, and I love teaching, so do ask questions during your exam.

In terms of how we can minimise risk (not eliminate, sure, but minimising is what we strive for, this means I can stand at arms length to look in your ears. With traditional otoscopy I literally have to put my mouth 2-3cm from your neck. I wear a mask, but they aren't foolproof. I figured now is the time to invest in the scope, in order to bring down the risk of COVID transmission.

I'm only sorry that you can't see a 'proper' eardrum in the images above, but these are mine and they are scarred to high heaven. A normal one is translucent and you can see the tiny bones through it. Totally beautiful - well they are to me anyway. That's one of many reasons why I love my job.