New Device Spots Bacteria Behind Eardrum
JUN 11, 2013
Detecting biofilms can better diagnose and treat chronic ear infections.
New Device Spots Bacteria Behind The Eardrum
Get Inside the Science:
Nowhere to hide: New Device sees bacteria behind the eardrum
Biophotonics Imaging Laboratory – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Stephen A. Boppart, University of Urbana-Champaign
Inside Science Buzzwords:
- Otoscope - A medical tool with a tiny light that is used to examine the ear canal.
- Biofilms - A slimy, glue-like substance made of a thin layer of microorganisms that stick to surfaces. Biofilms can stick to all kinds of materials, including the tissues within the body.
- Eardrum - A thin, cone-shaped piece of skin, located between the ear canal and the middle ear. Once sound waves travel into the ear canal they vibrate the eardrum, which your brain eventually interprets as sounds.
