Ear examination, which is called otoscopy, can be important to control a person's health condition (as well as the need to examine the eyes or perform other sorts of medical examinations) because different sorts of ear infections are widespread and to provide a timely treatment they have to be diagnosed in time. Just a simple observation of an ear canal can give a lot of useful information to the doctor. For the examination of an ear canal a special medical device is used. It is called otoscope. In general, this device consists of a cone tube, which is inserted into a patient's ear, a special optical system to give a better image and a source of light. The batteries pack to power the lamp is usually placed into a handle of the otoscope. Professional models of otoscope can vary in shape, size and optical system design. Some of the advanced models also have a small pump, which allows puffing a small amount of air right into patient's ear canal. That gives a possibility to check the ear drum and how it takes air pressure. A light source that is used in otoscope has to provide a soft and pure white light. That fact is really important because it gives an ability to perceive the color of ear drum and ear canal correctly. Even a slight change in color of an ear drum can be a sign of ear infection and further inspection should be performed. Otoscope family also includes high tech devices, such as a video otoscope. Such models besides the regular set of parts also include a glass fiber to transmit the image and to convert it into a video format, and a special small camera is usually used. Such otoscopes are pretty expensive but as long as they can be connected to the monitor and store the necessary data they can be very effective at any hospital. Of course, a medical professional do not need such an otoscope for every day use, just a regular model can be used here. Much more simple home otoscopes are becoming popular these days. Of course, the quality of image in these home otoscopes is significantly lower than in professional devices but still with home otoscopes it is possible to control ear canal and ear drum condition. Most of the parents whose kid had previously had an ear infection, have acquired home otoscopes because using this device they can make an every day check of their child's ear and visit a doctor if any suspicion arises. If you want to buy a home otoscope for your family, first of all, you should consult with a medical professional and he (she) will explain you the basic design and its usage. The doctor will also explain how the healthy ear canal and ear drum have to look like and what signs of a problem there can be. And such information for caring parents can also be found on the internet. There are websites with description of basic otoscopy technique which is used at home. These websites also provide different photos of the ear which can be useful in determining whether your kid is healthy or any problem is present. And, of course, in all the cases you should visit a doctor to perform an observation with a professional otoscope. There are medical professionals who think that home otoscopes is not a good idea but it can give you an opportunity to find out the problem earlier.