Low-Cost Otoscope for Low-Resource Settings through Engineering World Health

Project Description:
Otoscopes, despite being a relatively simple technology, face many challenges in low-resource settings. The initial purchase cost of otoscope is a barrier, but more often reliability and accessibility of the battery causes the most problems. Otoscope batteries are often specific, and only the most expensive models offer high durability, battery life and optical quality. LED technology, along with more innovative power methods, could solve these issues. Additionally, allowing for adaptation to a smartphone camera or other imaging method could allow for remote diagnosis and integration into electronic medical records. For example, mass produced batteries for other applications could reduce battery costs and improve accessibility. Allowing for power directly from a wall plug would enable the device to be used while a replacement battery is sourced.

The aim of this project is to develop a low-cost otoscope for use in low-resource hospital and clinic environments. The device should have high durability, long battery life, and allow for remote diagnosis and potential integration into electronic medical record databases.

Project Mentor:
Engineering Mentor: Kyle Bulloch, Symbient Product Development, Kyle.Bulloch@symbientpd.com
Physician Mentor: John Gross, MD, FACS, Department of Plastic Surgery, UCI, john.gross@uci.edu

Other Resources:
Prior Designs: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gfqwo33rfuv3rep/AACqX3O97E46XNhOM2B6i4BNa?dl=0

Team Members:

Ryan James Galiza, Zhuohao Jiang, Melinda T. Le, Shengquan Xuan, Tianyang Zhu