A group of Taiwanese researchers has rigged up a smartphone-connected endoscope, which can enable the smartphone's camera to take internal pictures of patients' ears, noses and throats. In a six-patient telemedicine trial that took place in the mountains of Taiwan, the technology enabled remote diagnoses that matched the diagnosis of on-site otolaryngologists 100 percent of the time.

The researchers, whose study was recently published in JMIR, used a Samsung Galaxy Note II with a built-in 8 megapixel camera. For $50 plus the cost of the phone ($300), they were able to construct an adapter that lined up a traditional otoscope and an LED flashlight with the camera, allowing multiple doctors on-site to see the otoscopic images, as well as letting doctors take still photographs of the scope imagery. The device is lightweight and doesn't require an additional power source.

In the study, three remote specialists independently analyzed the images (transmitted via Google Hangouts) and made diagnoses, first with no information other than the images, and then with the images and patient histories for the five patients. The study considered diagnoses to be accurate if they matched the diagnosis of the onsite physician. The only inaccuracy was an overdiagnosis in one consultant's primary diagnosis, which the onsite doctor corrected independently given access to the patient's history.

The researchers noted that the biggest problem in image quality was the lack of a way to stabilize the lightweight smartphone setup, which led to some blurry images.

Although the sample size was very small, the study demonstrates the potential of a $350 system for ear, nose, and throat telemedicine in rural areas or developing countries. The study authors also suggest the device could be used by parents at home to avoid a physician visit for an ear infection, or to provide at-home monitoring between visits.

"Overtreatment of ear infections with antibiotics in preschoolers may cause antibiotic resistance and has caused millions of unnecessary visits and prescriptions for antibiotics in the United States," they write. "... The smartphone-based otorhinoendoscope has the potential to change the doctor’s practice patterns of overutilizing antibiotics for ear infections. Currently, otolaryngologists can wait to see if a child’s infection improves or if antibiotic treatment is warranted after the series of clinical images are obtained from parents."

A few similar devices are already in the market in the United States, even though at least one has a higher price point. Anthony Products makes a smartphone endoscope adapter for $600, and CellScope's digital otoscope is currently available for free to select physicians on a trial basis.