JedMed Nex-Gen HD Video Otoscope

The Nex-Gen HD Video Otoscope from JedMed is a specialty-grade video otoscope with a streamlined form factor, updated camera sensor, and key telemedicine-enhancing features. About the size of a large hardcover novel, the Jed Med otoscope light box offers a much smaller footprint than previous light box offerings. Paired with the provided otoscope handpiece which features a wide field of view lens and accessible controls for single-hand operation, this device offers a compelling feature set for providers looking for specialty otolaryngology (ENT) or primary care imagery.

Use Case

Video otoscopes have played a useful role in telemedicine programs for decades, with practical applications in both store-and-forward and videoconferencing.  Technological advances over the years have resulted in different approaches to optics, lighting, image sensors, device form factor, and use cases. The result has been a diverse group of products with widely varying levels of performance. Most video otoscopes will consist of a some combination of light source, camera, and probe lens that is paired to some sort of image processing for the collection of still and video imagery of tympanic membranes and other ear structures.

Functionality

The Nex-Gen lightbox is most notable for its small size. Its footprint is about that of a standard 8.5 x 11” piece of printer paper folded in half horizontally and stands about 3” in height. This gives it a footprint of less than half or even a third of many previous-generation light boxes. The front of the light box houses a simple on-and-off switch and the locking handpiece connector port. At the rear of the device is a standard power plug, a full-sized HDMI output, and a USB 3.0 type B service port. There is also a ground stud for connection to earth ground in an operating room environment.

Using the term light box for this device is a bit of a misnomer as the light and camera functions are all self-contained inside of the handpiece, with the “light box” providing power and video conversion for the handpiece. The term light box comes from previous devices in which the light source, and imaging sensor would be housed within the box, connecting to the handpiece using a fiber optic connection.

The handpiece consists of a machined metal housing connected via a locking cable to the light box adaptor. Both ends of the cable feature strain relief built in and are made of a heavy, but flexible cabling material. The end of the handpiece terminates in a thin rod lens, with a CCD image sensor built into the very tip of the rod. Two LED light sources are located above and below the CCD sensor. This allows the handpiece to capture images from the very tip of the device, providing it with a very good field of view. Friction-mounted adapters that fit over the rod, allowing both standard Welch-Allyn, and Kleen-Spec adult and pediatric otoscope specula to be attached to the device. We did note that with the Welch-Allyn tips there could be a significant amount of wobble in the specula when in a subject’s ear.

On the device body is a single rubberized button. When short pressed this button toggles between three illumination levels. A long press pauses the image, allowing for it to be viewed more clearly, or stored via a screen capture process. The button is useful for registering “up” on the otoscope device, specifically, if the button is oriented up, then the otoscope image should be vertical. Just counterclockwise from the button is the insufflation bulb port. In use, this port is helpful in keeping the handpiece from rotating by resting the thumb below the port.

Integration and Image Quality

For our testing, we utilized an HDMI to USB converter from Ephiphan Systems. This allowed us to stream the HDMI output into a variety of video software, using UVC plug and play standards. This made it quite simple to stream out live otoscopy images through video conferencing software, and to capture images using the native Windows camera application. In live video, the 30fps video feed provided a smooth video experience, and the freeze frame functionality allowed for more detailed viewing. It was sometimes challenging to capture a clear image using the freeze frame as the act of pressing the button on the handpiece would sometimes cause the image to shake. We also found that sometimes while attempting to freeze the image, we would inadvertently change the image brightness instead. Some sort of image stabilization or the introduction of a foot or hand switch would likely alleviate these issues. The LED lights built into this device provide adequate and even illumination in most imaging scenarios. We would have liked to see some additional adjustability in the light sources, as the brightest light setting was generally too bright producing blooming in the image, and the lowest light setting was difficult to differentiate from the medium setting. Overall, the excellent field of view, good resolution quality, and effective light source provided more than adequate image quality for general tympanic membrane imaging.

Product Specs

Summary

Obtaining otoscope imagery of adequate quality for clinical purposes is a long-standing challenge for many telehealth programs. The Nex-Gen HD Otoscope provides a viable otoscope platform for both general clinical and telemedicine applications in a surprisingly compact form factor. The build quality and overall ease of use of this device may make it compelling to ENT and Primary Care specialists wanting to get just a bit more out of the Otoscope images.

« Back to Innovation Watch

From time to time TAC will choose a piece of technology to show or demonstrate in the “Innovation Watch” section of our website.  No endorsement of any products or services is expressed or implied by any information, hyperlink text, product, service, material or content referred to or included on, or linked from or to the TTAC web site.