WO2005013789A1

WO2005013789A1 - Ear-pick for otoscopes

Info

Publication number: WO2005013789A1
Application number: PCT/KR2003/001852
Authority: WO
Inventors: Duck Sik Yim
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-08-11
Filing date: 2003-09-08
Publication date: 2005-02-17
Anticipated expiration: 2006-02-11
Also published as: AU2003260986A1; KR200336532Y1

Abstract

An ear-pick for an otoscope includes a lower body that has a piped shape, being insertionally combined with an outer face of an otoscope installation unit to be extended as a curved face, and that internally has a stopping jaw matched with and combined with a concave flute formed in the otoscope installation unit; an upper body that has a piped shape insertionally combined with an outer face of the lower body to be extended as a curved face; and an ear-pick equipped with the upper body, whereby, rapidly and conveniently removing a foreign substance such as earwax to increase a safety and a pleasantness of a patient in a medical examination and treatment of an otorhinolaryngology.

Description

EAR-PICK FOR OTOSCOPES

Technical Field The present invention relates to an ear pick for otoscopes. More particularly, the present invention relates to an ear pick for otoscopes, which is capable of being used for rapidly and conveniently removing a foreign substance such as earwax to increase a safety and pleasantness of a patent in a medical examination and treatment.

Background Art In general an otoscope is a medical instrument simply used for a medical examination not only in an otorhinolaryngology but also in a hospital for internal diseases and a children's hospital. An otoscope used in an otorhinolaryngology is mainly composed of a main body 10 for housing battery, a lamp 12 lightened by a switch 14, and an otoscope installation unit 16 of a funnel shape for irradiating light of the lamp 12. In using the otoscope in the otorhinolaryngology, a funnel shaped pipe is insertionally combined with a front side of the otoscope installation unit 16, and then the lamp 12 is switched on, to thus, medically examine an ear through lens equipped with a back side of the otoscope installation unit 16. In a generally used otoscope, light irradiated from the lamp 12 is passed through the otoscope installation unit 16 equipped with the otoscope, to lighten the interior of the ear. An external auditory meatus of a human being overall curves as an S shape, and is partially blocked by tragus, and furthermore, hairs or earwax in the external auditory meatus interrupts an inspection using the otoscope. Therefore a user checks the interior of ear, pushing out the tragus or fine hairs out through a general use of a leading end of the otoscope. In the meantime, in case there is much earwax in the external auditory meatus, the user has to remove the earwax by using the ear-pick through one hand of the user, under such a state that another hand supports the otoscope. This causes an inconvenience and a medical examination time to be prolonged and a feeling of uneasiness for a patient.

Disclosure of Invention Accordingly, features of the present invention is to provide an ear-pick for an otoscope, which is capable of rapidly and conveniently removing a foreign substance of an ear interior such as earwax in a medical treatment of an otorhinolaryngology, thereby increasing a safety and a pleasantness of a patient. To these ends, the present invention provides an ear-pick for an otoscope, including a lower body that has a piped shape, being insertionally combined with an outer face of an otoscope installation unit to be extended as a curved face, and that internally has a stopping jaw matched with and combined with a concave flute formed in the otoscope installation unit; an upper body that has a piped shape insertionally combined with an outer face of the lower body to be then extended as a curved face; and an ear-pick equipped with the upper body. According to one aspect of the present invention, an ear-pick is installed on an outer face of the upper body, and is provided with a fixed pipe for fixing the ear-pick in an outer face of the upper body, to be thus operable forward and backward repeatedly or rotatable. The ear-pick is composed of the fixed pipe for fixing a body of the ear-pick, the body that pierces through the fixed pipe, a handle and a hook. According to another aspect of the present invention, an ear-pick is installed on a leading end of the upper body, wherein the ear-pick has a rod shape and a leading end of the ear-pick is formed as a circular shaped protrusion. A lower body of the ear-pick has a stopping jaw that is attachable to and detachable from a concave flute of an otoscope installation unit, and an upper body of the ear-pick and the lower body are combined with each other by interposing each of circular type beads therebetween, to be thus relatively rotatable.

Brief Description of the Drawings The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a construction of an ear-pick fixed piercing through a fixed pipe and an otoscope separated from the ear-pick according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ear-pick equipped in an outer face of an upper body and an otoscope according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an ear-pick having a body extended from a portion of an upper body and formed in a rod shape, and having a protrusion formed in an end of the extended body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a sectional diagram showing a combination state of main components of an ear-pick for an otoscope according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate a front view and a sectional view showing a leading end of the ear-pick for an otoscope according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention The present invention and exemplary embodiments thereof are more fully described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein; rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure is thorough and complete, and conveys the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the inventive description, details of widely known functions of constructions will be omitted for the sake of brevity. According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and referring first to FIG. 1 illustrating an ear-pick for an otoscope, the ear-pick for an otoscope includes a lower body 20 that has a piped shape, being insertionally combined with an outer face of an otoscope installation unit 16 to be extended as a curved face, and that internally has a stopping jaw 20a matched with and combined with a concave flute 16a formed in the otoscope installation unit; an upper body 30 that has a piped shape insertionally combined with an outer face of the lower body 20 to be then extended as a curved face; a fixed pipe 46 installed in an outer face of the upper body 30; and an ear-pick 40 fixed to the fixed pipe 46. The ear-pick 40 pierces through the fixed pipe 46 along a curved face of the upper body, to be fixed to the fixed pipe 46 and be operable forward and backward repetitively and be rotatable. The ear-pick 40 is composed of the fixed pipe 46 for fixing a body of the ear-pick, the body piercing through the fixed pipe 46, a handle 42 and a hook 44. In using such an ear-pick for an otoscope in an otorhinolaryngology, a user can hold a handle 42 of the ear-pick and move the body of the ear-pick forward and backward repetitively or move rotatively according to its necessity, thus the user can easily, medically examine or treat the interior of an ear for a patient. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and referring to FIG. 2 illustrating an ear-pick for an otoscope, the ear-pick for an otoscope includes the lower body 20 that has a piped shape, being insertionally combined with an outer face of the otoscope installation unit 16 to be extended as a curved face, and that internally has the stopping jaw 20a matched with and combined with the concave flute 16a formed in the otoscope installation unit; the upper body 30 that has a piped shape insertionally combined with an outer face of the lower body 20 to be then extended as a curved face; and an ear-pick 40 equipped in a rod shape in a leading end of the upper body 30. The ear-pick 40 is installed as a rod type in the ending end of the upper body 30, and is composed of a body and a protrusion 30a, wherein the protrusion 30a can be formed in a circular shape desirably. Herewith, the ear- pick for the otoscope is installed in an inner face of the upper body 30, thus a user can use the ear-pick installed in the otoscope, together with a use of the otoscope, thus easily, medically examine or treat the interior of an ear. According to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with reference to FIG. 3 illustrating an ear-pick for an otoscope, the ear-pick for an otoscope includes the lower body 20 that has a piped shape, being insertionally combined with an outer face of the otoscope installation unit 16 to be extended as a curved face, and that internally has the stopping jaw 20a matched with and combined with the concave flute 16a formed in the otoscope installation unit; the upper body 30 that has a piped shape insertionally combined with an outer face of the lower body 20 to be then extended as a curved face; and an ear-pick 40 whose body is formed extendedly in a rod shape from a portion of the upper body 30, wherein a leading end of the extended body is formed as a protrusion 30a. Herewith, the ear-pick is equipped with the leading end of the upper body 30, thus a user can use the ear-pick installed in the otoscope, together with a use of the otoscope. That is, the user can easily medically examine or treat the interior of an ear. An otoscope generally used in an otorhinolaryngology is provided with the otoscope installation unit 16 through which light irradiated from the otoscope lamp 12 is passed to lighten the interior of an ear. In the present invention, the lower body 20 of the ear-pick has the stopping jaw 20a that is attachable to or detachable from the concave flute 16a of the otoscope installation unit. Further, in the ear-pick for an otoscope of the present invention, the upper body 30 of the ear-pick can have a body end 30c that a leading end of the upper body becomes narrow. According as the leading end of the upper body 30 in the ear-pick for the otoscope becomes narrow, light irradiated from the otoscope lamp can be concentratively passed through, to lighten the interior of an ear. The ear-pick for the otoscope also has a protrusion 30a, 44 formed in a leading end thereof. The upper body 30 and the lower body 20 are combined with each other, interposing each of circular type beads 20b, 30b therebetween, to be then rotated relatively to each other. In the ear-pick for the otoscope, the protrusions 30a, 44 of the upper body 30 are formed in a spherically arch shape with a determined curvature Rl,

R2, R3 so as to easily capture foreign substances within an ear. Such an ear-pick for an otoscope can be easily used not only in an otorhinolaryngology but also in a hospital for internal diseases and a children's hospital. Further, the concave flute 16a is formed in the otoscope installation unit 16 so that the ear-pick is attachable thereto and detachable therefrom. In the otoscope, a battery is accepted in the main body 10, and a switch 14 is equipped in an outer face of the main body 10. In the ear-pick of the invention, the lower body 20 and the upper body 30 are provided as a piped member of a funnel shape like the otoscope installation unit 16, and the external faces thereof have a similar curvature and have a shape that the curved face is extended. The lower body 20 internally has the stopping jaw 20a that is matched to and combined with the concave flute 16a of the otoscope installation unit 16. The concave flute 16a of the otoscope installation unit 16 is formed through a given section in a spirally slanted direction, and its depth is not regular and has a slope to pierce through a determined section. The stopping jaw 20a of the lower body 20 is formed with determined width and height to be combined with the concave flute 16a of the otoscope installation unit 16. In the inventive ear-pick, a rod formed extendedly from a portion of the upper body 30 of a piped shape and formed in a gradually narrowed shape is provided as a portion inserted into an external auditory meatus of a patient. The protrusion 30a is provided as a portion for capturing a foreign substance such as earwax in the external auditory meatus and is formed upward and downward with a given interval of, e.g., 1.5 ~ 2.5mm. The lower body 20 and the upper body 30 can be made of metal, plastic or tree material. In using plastic material, an injection molding can be used desirably. From a viewpoint of a formality, an endurance and an elasticity, polycarbonate can be used desirably. In the inventive ear-pick for an otoscope, the upper body 30 and the lower body 20 are combined with each other, interposing each of circular type beads 20b, 30b so as to be rotated relatively to each other. In an outer circumferential face of the lower body 20, the circular type bead 20b projected with a curvature of about R0.5 is formed, and in an inner circumferential face of the upper body 30, the circular type bead 30b recessed by the same curvature is formed. The lower body 20 and the upper body 30 are combined with each other through the circular type beads 20b, 30b to be attachable to and detachable therefrom. Also, a direction of the protrusion 30a can be easily converted by turning the upper body 30. Since the foreign substance of the earwax is generally spread on an overall face of the external auditory meatus, a distribution state of the earwax can be checked and removed, turning the upper body 30, under such a state that the lower body 20 and the upper body 30 are combined with the otoscope installation unit 16 and the otoscope lamp 12 is turned on. The aperture 30c of the upper body 30 as a final outlet of light irradiated from the otoscope lamp 12 can have a diameter of about 5~9mm which is maintained desirably. To prevent a visual field of a user from being narrowed, the aperture 30c of the upper body 30 is cut on the slant, desirably. An external face curvature of the funnel shape is formed, being gradually lessened toward an end part of the upper body 30 and being gradually thinned, thus such an ear-pick can be used simply and easily for children whose external auditory meatus is small. While, an internal face of the lower body 20 and the upper body 30 is formed by a surface illumination for maintaining an appropriate irregular reflection, so as not to interfere a use of the otoscope due to a reflection phenomenon of light from the scope lamp 12. The protrusions 30a, 44 of the upper body 30 are formed in a spherically arc shape with a determined curvature (R1)(R2)(R3) to easily capture a foreign substance. A rod portion of the upper body 30 is formed as a curved face having a first curvature Rl, and a leading end provided as the protrusion 30a has a concave sphere face with the first curvature Rl and a second curvature R2. The protrusion 30a positioned in such a sphere face is formed in an arc shape through a third rate R3 of other direction. Accordingly, the foreign substance of the earwax is captured between doubled protrusion 30a and is stably gathered in the portion concaved in the sphere face and the arc structure in the midst of taking out the earwax to the outside. Therefore, a medical examination and treat time can be reduced because there is no need to repeat such operation several times.

Industrial Applicability As described above, an ear-pick is equipped with an otoscope as a medical instrument used not only in an otorhinolaryngology but also in a hospital for internal diseases and a children's hospital, therefore a foreign substance such as earwax can be removed rapidly and conveniently in a medical treatment of the otorhinolaryngology, to increase a safety and a pleasantness of the medical treatment. In addition, the ear-pick for an otoscope, which is inserted into the interior of a fixed pipe and fixed thereto, can be used for easily medically checking and treating the interior of an ear by holding a handle of the ear-pick and moving an ear-pick body forward and backward repeatedly or rotating it. Accordingly, the ear-pick for an otoscope is considerably useful for an industry of medical instruments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in preferred embodiments of the present invention without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of the embodiments, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An ear-pick for an otoscope comprising: a lower body that has a piped shape, being insertionally combined with an outer face of an otoscope installation unit to be extended as a curved face, and that internally has a stopping jaw matched with and combined with a concave flute formed in the otoscope installation unit; an upper body that has a piped shape insertionally combined with an outer face of the lower body to be extended as a curved face; and an ear-pick equipped with the upper body.

2. The ear-pick as claimed in 1, wherein the ear-pick is installed in an outer face of the upper body.

3. The ear-pick as claimed in 2, wherein the ear-pick is provided with a fixed pipe, said fixed pipe being installed in an outer face of the upper body and being for fixing a body of the ear-pick.

4.The ear-pick as claimed in 2, wherein the ear-pick comprises the fixed pipe for fixing the body of the ear-pick, the body piercing through the fixed pipe, a handle and a hook.

5. The ear-pick as claimed in 1, wherein the ear-pick is installed in a leading end of the upper body.

6. The ear-pick as claimed in 5, wherein the ear-pick is installed in a rod shape at a leading end of the upper body and has a protrusion of a circular shape.

7. The ear-pick as claimed in 1, wherein the lower body of the ear-pick has the stopping jaw that is attachable to and detachable from the concave flute of the otoscope installation unit.

8. The ear-pick as claimed in 1, wherein the upper body and the lower body are combined with each other, interposing each of circular type beads therebetween so as to relatively rotate to each other.