While we have instruments that can peer deep inside the ear, they typically can’t see much below the surface once inside. That’s because visible light is absorbed and scattered by soft tissues, providing only a view of their surfaces. Short-wave infrared (SWIR), light roughly in the 1 – 2 μm wavelength range, experiences a lot less scattering but small and affordable sensors able to image this light have only recently become available. To evaluate the benefits of SWIR, researchers at MIT developed an otoscope that uses shortwave infrared to image the middle ear. The team was able to see the middle ear anatomy literally in a new light, potentially offering clinicians a new tool for diagnosing various pathologies.
From the point of the user, the instrument is not much different from conventional otoscopes and should be intuitive for any ENT doc from the get go. It has already been tested on ten adults and is in the process of being evaluated on pediatric patients as to whether it can help detect middle-ear infections.
Here’s a sample video from the research showing off imaging of the inner ear using SWIR:
Study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Using the shortwave infrared to image middle ear pathologies…
Via: MIT…