Patent ID: 8066634

Claim:
An otoscope permitting examination of a patient's ear, said otoscope comprising: i) an instrument head including a proximal end and a substantially conically shaped distal insertion portion; ii) an image forming device that is configured to form image information that represents a still or a live image; iii) a tip element releasably attached in overlaying relation onto said distal insertion portion of said instrument head, said tip element including a substantially conical body and a distal tip opening and in which said distal insertion portion and an attached tip element are each insertable into the ear of a patient; and iv) an imaging lens train disposed within said instrument head, each of said imaging lens train, said image forming device and a distal opening of said insertion portion and the tip opening of an attached tip element being aligned along an optical axis, herein said imaging lens train and said image forming device define an optical system that includes a distal entrance pupil, said entrance pupil being located distal to the distal opening of the distal insertion portion of said instrument head, but proximal to the distal opening of said attached tip element to permit substantially the entire image of the tympanic membrane to be formed for viewing all at once by said image forming device without vignetting either by the distal tip opening of said attached tip element or by the distal opening of said distal insertion portion.