Background: The use of photo-documentation in ENT clinics is becoming more common as technological advances have made the hardware required more accessible. Otoscopy photographs provide a more accurate record of tympanic membranes than hand-drawn diagrams and should be regarded as the gold-standard in documentation.

Aim: To systematically review and compare a range of otoscopy image capture devices in a simulated clinical environment. 

Methods: Five commercially available products were acquired for review: Endoscope-i, Cupris TYM, Firefly DE1250, Syncvision, and Nikon P5100. Three ENT surgeons tested the devices on each other and independently rated the products for ease of use, and field of view. The best images captured were then collected (6 ears for each device), randomised, and distributed to five ENT surgeons for independent and ‘blinded’ grading of image quality.

Results: The best images were obtained with the Endoscope-i (+ iPhone 7) and Syncvision systems, while the Nikon and Firefly also provided very good quality images. The Cupris TYM is the only product on test not to utilise an endoscope, and the image quality suffers as a result. The most ergonomic and easy to use products were the Syncvision and Nikon camera with endoscope adapters.

Comparative analysis of portable image capture devices for photo documentation in otology clinics