Description
The Wispr® by WiscMed® delivers unparalleled views of the eardrum in even small or partially obstructed ear canals, helping to make your ear exams more comfortable, faster, easier and more accurate. Familiar touch-and-sweep functionality allows you to share images & video during the ear exam. Learn more about the Wispr Value.
The Wispr features:
- Integrated LCD touchscreen
- Built-in nano camera
- Intuitive user interface
- Optical fibers to tip (no heat)
- One button image & video capture
- Anti-fog coating at tip
- Thin disposable speculum
- Integrated USB port for download of images & video
- Increases the physical distance to a patient
- Captured images facilitate specialty consults without a 2nd contact
The Wispr attaches to industry standard power handles (not included). Supported power options include Welch Allyn® 71910 & 71670 & 71000-A rechargeable handles; Welch Allyn® 767, 777 & Connex® wall transformers, Heine BETA 4 USB rechargeable handle and Heine EN 100 Wall Transformer. If you need a battery handle, Here is a link to our supported power handle page.
The Wispr 30-Day Buy & Try Guarantee: If you are not 100% satisfied with your new Wispr, simply ship the device back to WiscMed within 30 days of your purchase. You will be refunded in full, no questions asked.
View what is included in your purchase.
Don’t forget to order WiscMed Wispr disposable specula. The unique geometry of the device will not support other specula. Never use the Wispr Digital Otoscope without a WiscMed Speculum.
Only available for purchase in the U.S.
Sam Parker, DO –
Game-changer: Parents (and some kids) LOVE to see the symptomatic ear for themselves. Showing them a picture of a normal TM then showing them the picture / video you just took is an incredible experience. It has completely changed the exam from something the kids are afraid of to something they’re curious about. After demonstrating the camera feature, they WANT to see what’s in their ear. Plus, the cartoon overlay feature (making it look like there’s a tiger, unicorn, etc in their ear) was a surprising crowd favorite: kids age 2-6 think it’s so funny.
Other benefits: it facilitates teaching because a medical student can see it over your shoulder, and later you can point at features on saved images and discuss. If a resident captures a good image, the attending doesn’t have to repeat the exam. Also, the exam is less invasive because you don’t have to press your eye up to the otoscope – you can easily see the screen from several feet away.
Very few complaints. The thin diameter of the tip makes the exam much more comfortable for small children, but does make the fiber optics within relatively fragile. Rarely the color and or depth perception is hard to appreciate so the exam must be re-done with an analog otoscope. But that’s it, no other concerns.
Excellent, innovative product. Highly recommend.
Brittany Glenn –
This otoscope is a MUST HAVE. I don’t know how I ever functioned without it! The pediatric mode is genius. I will never use a regular otoscope again!
Caroline Rowlands< MD, FAAP –
I’ve been using the Wispr otoscope for about 18 months (shortly after a diagnosis of posterior vitreous detachment that made TM exams difficult) and I’m still surprised at how good the images are. It is rare that I can’t get a view of the entire TM, even with moving, crying and waxy kids in my outpatient pediatric practice. I’ve started recording exams on the less cooperative kids, since I can often get a passing view of the TM and can review the image without doing a longer exam. I’ve discovered details on newborn exams that I never knew existed before (like melanin spots on the TMs of darkly pigmented babies).
I’ve saved images to show to my partners and students so we can discuss the findings while looking at them together. (My company has not allowed me to download image to our EMR.)
Also, the customer service has been exceptional. When I’ve reached out with technical problems, I’ve received a replacement by overnight delivery while we worked on a solution (cleaning the tip with the corner of a folded alcohol pad after each use worked). When I dropped it and bent the barrel, I received a new device within a week, though I only got the WisprCare plan after the incident.
Just a few drawbacks that are worth a mention: 1. It takes a few seconds for the light to turn on. 2. The light is a different tint than standard otoscopes and it takes sometime to get used to the color differences, especially if you use it to illuminate the mouth. 3. It is a fragile device than rarely withstands a fall (even from less than 3 feet onto carpet, without the extra weight of the battery). 4. You will need to change your exam technique (but the videos on the website are helpful). 5. It will not work with older, weaker batteries.
I’m told that my vision problems should improve but I don’t plan to give up this tool. I wonder when all practitioners will be using the Wispr otoscope rather than the clearly inferior tools that we have been using. The benefits clearly outweigh the drawbacks.
Matthew Strehlow –
Outstanding addition to my clinical assessment equipment. The technology helps you practice Precision Emergency Medicine where you can work with the patient and patient’s family along wit the rest of the care team to ensure that you are treating what you are seeing. Parents have loved it and kids have laughed at having a “doggy in my ear”.
Leonard Nagorski MD –
I brought this in late July 2021. Best medical equipment investment I made in many years. As a Board Certified Pediatrician for over 43 years, ear pathology is a large part of my practice. It is so nice to show parents what is going on with their kids ears. So easy to use. I wish I had this many years ago. This is the best video otoscopy for children and I looked at them all before purchasing this one.
Andrew J. Schuman MD –
Been using the Wispr for over a year. Patients love that the device allows me to review the images with them, and embed these in the patient’s EHR record. Following the examination and demonstrating findings, I emphasize the importance of completing a course of antibiotics for Otitis Media. At follow up I can compare before and after images, and also share images if I refer a patient to an ENT physician. The device is easy to hold and use – I can navigate easily around cerumen to visualize the tympanic membrane using the Wispr. I also appreciate how reliable the Wispr has been over time, and that Wiscmed regularly provides firmware upgrades to improve the technology.
Ghaidaa Alharbi, MD –
Hello, my name is Ghaidaa Alharbi. I am a general practitioner who currently works as an Emergency Resident. I received my Wispr otoscope a few weeks ago. I have used it with pediatric patients, adults, and even small babies. It’s a very nice otoscope, the best part of it is the tiny non-painful speculum (something I couldn’t find anywhere else on the market). I got some really nice pictures of the ear drum and my patients are much more comfortable with the exam. Because the exam is recorded, I have more time to take a good look into the details. I may not end up in EM or FM as a career, but for now the Wispr has made my work so much easier with greater confidence in my diagnoses. I wanted to send Dr. Berbee this review earlier but I got busy. I am super satisfied, and would love to see more generations of the Wispr otoscope with enhancements. I love the USB picture transfer. Everything I need is in the product. I would like to thank Dr. Berbee and the WiscMed team for their outstanding customer support. I look forward to sharing images in the future.
Dr Jeff H –
Fantastic product! Great visualization at arms length distance; maneuvers around cerumen easily, parents love seeing what I see. Unmatched customer service.
Anonymous –
The smaller diameter makes it a lot easier to obtain a good, clear view of the TM. I love being able to show parents, patients, and even the nurses and techs what I see. It’s been even more convenient in the time of constant face shields and goggles. I’d use it more if my ED had it in every room.
Johnny –
This is an excellent clinical tool. It provides more clear and more consistent visualization of the EAC and TM without limitation from the limited focal length of the traditional otoscope. Its smaller diameter makes the exam much more tolerable to children (and adults too). The ability to show patients what we see is also extremely useful for patient education. I intend to continue using this otoscope throughout my career.
C Buchanan MD –
We have used the Wispr in our Pediatric Emergency Department for some time now. Due to the resoundingly positive feedback from our providers, we purchased Wisprs for our adult EDs. The Wispr is easy to use, captures great images, and is an all around great device!
Emily Duym, MD –
The Wispr allows for improved visualization of the tympanic membrane, especially in young pediatric patients. The ability to capture a photo or video enables teaching on shift. In the era of COVID, it also feels more comfortable for patient and provider safety to be able to perform otoscopic examination with slightly more physical distance than with traditional otoscopy (and wearing a protective face shield often impedes successful otoscopic examination with a traditional otoscope).
James Svenson –
Great teaching tool, so that learners and I are sure we are seeing the same thing. Makes it easier on patients and parents in that I don’t have to reexamine every ear. Love being able to be a little playful with kids and show them both their ear and their parents ears. Wish I had had one of these in residency and all of my years of practice.
Anonymous –
A true game-changer. Once you use it and finally can ‘see,’ you can’t imagine going back to using outdated technology. Everything else in medicine has upgraded. It is about time the otoscope did too. While others have tried to create a digital otoscope, Wispr is the first to have finally brought it to life (vs other poorly designed/functioning digital otoscopes). Worth the price!
jmhess –
The Wispr has been incredible to use and quite honestly a “game changer” in the ED. The Wispr takes all the frustration out of ear exams-I have found that kids love that we can take a picture and actually “show them,” turning something they are apprehensive about into a silly game for young kids and intriguing for curious older kids. In addition, as an ED attending I love that the residents can take a photo or video and I can not only help with diagnosis without having to repeat the exam but also provide teaching in ways beyond what I was ever able to with a traditional otoscope. It’s similar to the way that video laryngoscopy changed traditional airway management, this has dramatically improved otoscopy. Overall find it incredibly useful and highly recommend!
Aaron –
Incredibly user-friendly as well as an excellent teaching tool. Obviates the need to repeat student or resident ear exams with the ability to save images/video. As a bonus, much easier to visualize structures with goggles/face shield in the age of COVID. Highly recommend!
Ryan –
The WISPR has turned 3am ED visits for toddlers with ear pain from a wrestling match into a quick and pleasant patient encounter. Also great for teaching as I can show medical students what I am looking at, and give constructive feedback on their viewing/diagnosis of the TM without putting the patient through a second exam. Highly recommend.
Brittany –
Very useful to have these on shift! The old-school otoscopes give a narrow POV and are not as user-friendly. These allow for easier ergonomics, better visualization, a complete exam, and the ability to record photos/videos. This comes in handy when needing to reference the image for another specialist (especially pediatric patients who do not tolerate ear exams well).
Nathan LeDeaux –
An amazing tool, especially for pediatric patients with smaller ear canals and difficulty sitting still for an exam. The video function allows for a detailed look at a TM with only one to two seconds in each canal. I find myself reaching for it even on adults!
Josh Ross –
Along with being an excellent educational tool, I find it quite useful clinically as the resident/student is able to record so I do not need to reexamine child, reassures parents when they too can see, and I have found the smaller speculum allows me to get by wax that I would otherwise have had to clean. I’ve also successfully used to help visualize/remove both ear and nasal foreign bodies, as well as for interesting/complicated patients (e.g., cholestetoma) I’ve placed images in the patient’s EHR so that our ENT consultants can review.
Anonymous –
I find the Wispr somewhat difficult to use: it often doesn’t focus even after cleaning the camera of debris, the head disconnects and gives a “image error message” that can’t always be reset, and the sharper point at the end puts thrashing patients at higher risk for TM perforation and external canal injury. Training learners on it is also a catch 22, since many of our trainees go out into the community without this resource present, and then do not know how to use a standard otoscope. Very few learners learn how to take pictures, so a repeat exam ends up occurring most of the time anyway, which the video/camera function attempted to offset.
James Berbee –
Dr. James Berbee Reply:
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We’ve corrected the image error message with new hardware and software that is free to all existing customers. The exam technique with the Wispr takes practice. We’ve created a getting started video to help with this. We find that the location of the camera at the very end of the speculum provides excellent situational awareness and prevents injury. Residency training programs report to us improved learner diagnosis with the Wispr. We’re working to introduce the Wispr otoscope broadly across the medical community and our goal is for all clinics to have this advanced technology available to their providers. Jim Berbee, MD, Founder, WiscMed.
Nicholas Kuehnel –
The Wispr is outstanding. After using I am so much more confident in my diagnosis. It’s great for learners to be able to show them the pictures and for families to truly understand what you’re seeing. Saves kids a repeat exam if able to just look at the pictures. The smaller speculums are so helpful. Has even aided with easier foreign body removal. Great with consultants to be able to show exactly what you’re seeing – saves patient transfers and clinic visits! Would recommend this 10x over to a traditional scope.
Michael Kern, MD –
Great product, much easier to visualize a TM with this than traditional otoscope. Especially true in a squirming child, as you can record the exam, go back and pause it to examine the TM when the otoscope is not actually in the child’s ear. Also causes less irritation given its narrow diameter, which makes pediatric exams even easier.
Jenn Mirrielees MD –
The Wispr rocks! Looking in pediatric patients’ ears can be one of the most challenging physical exams to complete on a busy shift with a fussy patient and you really just have one shot. The video utility allows you to get in, visualize and get out, and take a closer look at the image once the scope is far away from kiddo. About half of the time that I use the Wispr, especially if Child Life is in the room or just something really interesting is playing on the patient’s iPad, pediatric patients seem to barely register that the scope is in their ear at all, gives me a better exam and less frightening experience for the patient. Parents often appreciate being able to see the video/image on the Wispr so that they are more involved in what is going on and what we are treating by actually seeing the perforation, effusion, erythema, etc themselves. Our ED has the Wispr in all of the pediatric ED rooms, I think it would be great to have on the adult side as well, because adult patients can also be uncomfortable with these exams, especially patients with true pathology, who are very sensitive to pain, or tend to be very anxious in the ED.
Dan Hall, MD –
This is an amazing product. I have owned this scope for a little over a year and have never once regretted the purchase. It is easy to use and provides great views of ears that would have been extremely challenging with a standard otoscope. I am constantly amazed at how easy it is to obtain a clear view of the TM in even the most squirmy children and the video mode allows a single pass in the canal to be reviewed and analyzed separately, saving the most wild children from repeated exams when a diagnosis is in question. In the COVID clinic the scope allows me to get a much better exam while still keeping reasonable distance and examining through full PPE in a hot exam room – not an easy task with a standard scope. We use this with residents, both as a tool for teaching at the bedside, and a way to spare children a second exam to verify findings. I have used many of my own ear photos for didactic sessions with trainees as well. I have even started to use this for well exams on older children as I have found I just appreciate ear exams so much more – it has become more enjoyable and interesting to examine even the healthy TM’s. The pediatric mode is adored by my patients and I have owned the scope long enough to now have children come back to the clinic remembering the “fancy” otoscope and wanting to see their ears again. The company has been incredibly responsive to any tech concerns, I would recommend this product 100% to anyone that regularly examines ears of any shape or size!
Bernard Dannenberg, MD, FAAP, FACEP, Director Stanford Health Care Pediatric ED –
Every now and then a new product comes on the market and it profoundly changes my practice. As a pediatric ED physician I have looked into thousands of ear canals. The classic otoscope is a poor design for pediatric examinations. Visibility is limited because of size limitations of the plastic speculum, wax is a constant “obstructive’ enemy and teaching a resident or student results in a double examination which children (and parents) hate. The WISPR is the perfect solution to these problems. We have had ours in use for almost a year and the residents love it. The thin tip navigates around wax; finally we have a picture and video we can use as a teaching tool and children are “less tortured” by avoiding repetitive exams. Plus the kids love the cartoons. Overall it is a less invasive but optically superior alternative. Best of all is the tech support. We had a small tech glitch when an error popped up last month. There was a software update and the company send us by FEDEX within 2 days a new WISPR exchange otoscope. We just had to return the old unit in the supplied return labeled box. Easy! Get one, best investment EVER!
marc auerbach Prof of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Yale University –
I and my trainees have been using WISPR for about 6 months. It has helped to teach students/residents/fellows and families/patients. It has allowed for concurrent exams and less pain/discomfort to the child. Additionally it has helped with foreign body removal, documentation of findings to share with consultants and seeing the ears in those waxy and moving infants. This scope is fantastic and a great tool in our Emergency Medicine (pediatric specific) toolbox.
Todd Ochs, MD, FAAP (verified owner) –
The perfect pediatric tool for diagnosis and education. Children with Downs Syndrome- small ear canals. Infants. Showing moms an ear infection, allergic turbinates, cured otitis media, otitis externa. Just like the macro view ototscope made the box otoscope obsolete, so the Wispr has done to the macro view.
Matthew Nelson, DO –
(Before you read, please know that these are unsolicited genuine comments). I love the WISPR otoscope. It’s a staple for me with residency education and when I work in our urgent care. Our surrounding clinics routinely ask how we are able to post images in our EMR and I encourage them to look into funding (even charitable donations) for a device since it really has been a game changer. It improves continuity of care and makes communication with our ENT colleagues much more fluid. Parents are “wowed” by receiving education from the images as well. Plus, I’ve never had customer service like this company. For anything – ever! Thank you so much!
Sel Unite (verified owner) –
I can’t overstate how much I’ve enjoyed using my new Wispr otoscope. To see with clarity even in tiny ear canals and around cerumen along with my ability to show parents photos of what I’m looking at has made me a believer and my associates envious. The kids also finally get to see the frog/unicorn/etc that we’ve been telling them about all these years in pediatric mode. But as good as the product is, the customer service is even better. Jim Berbee goes above and beyond to make sure his product is working exactly as intended. I could not be more pleased about purchasing my new Wispr and am reminded of this every time I have to use someone else’s regular one.
Tony LaBarbera MD (verified owner) –
This product is amazing. It gives a more natural view of the tympanic membrane. It is fairly easy to manipulate around cerumen. The patient and parents enjoy seeing pictures of the TM. I can also the pictures to convince skeptical parents the TM is normal.
The customer support is outstanding!! I dropped my first one from exam table height and the screen cracked. I received a free replacement in a couple of days. Just today, I had a problem with blurred images. Had great on line chat support and Dr Berbee reached out to help, as well. If you are concerned about the cost, this scope will revolutionize the way you visualize TMs and improve your diagnostic skills.
Jack Whitehead –
The Wispr otoscope is amazing. I recently completed pediatric residency, and I feel like my TM exams improved more after a few busy days with the Wispr than during all of residency. The ability to review your own exams, share them with patients, discuss them with colleagues, and compare them to resources (such as the collection of images/cases here on wiscmed) is truly invaluable. Parents often bring their child to the clinic with the idea that they need antibiotics for AOM, and being able to show them perfectly normal TMs is very helpful in those situations. I keep a few images of normal TMs and AOM saved to the Wispr to show families in those situations. The Wispr has greatly improved my efficiency as well. With it, I hardly ever have to clean cerumen from the canals. It is small enough, and the field of view is wide enough, that cerumen removal is rarely required. The Wispr also allows you to record exams. If a child is particularly squirmy, you can quickly sift through the video to review the fleeting moment when the TM was visible. I used the Wispr for a 2 week trial and couldn’t imagine going back to a regular otoscope afterwards.
Paul G Vaccaro –
I’ve used the Wispr for almost one year now. I had been long frustrated by having an “incomplete” ear exam since traditional otoscopes are limited in the view provided and pneumatic otoscopy is just not practical. The Wispr offers a tremendously improved view of the TM and well as the never before option of video recording greatly improving TM exams. Parents often ask where they can buy one for home use. As a company, customer service is without equal. Current owners were sent the 2nd generation product in exchange for the old one. A recent drop resulting in a screen crack was also promptly repaired. Buy a Wispr and you will be amazed.
M. Kamsler, MD –
I have been using the WISPR otoscope from early on and have been extremely satisfied. The broad view, ability to move around cerumen, share images with patients are just a few of the many benefits. On occasion I have needed to use my older macroscopic standard otoscope and am reminded how much I appreciate the benefits of the WISPR. WiscMed as a company has been fantastic–excellent and timely support, always striving for improvement in the technology and sharing those updates readily! A pleasure to work with, both for the advantages clinically and the ease of communication.
William Oldenhoff, DVM –
I have been very impressed with this scope. As a veterinarian, my patients are often resistant to otoscopic examination. The Wispr scope has two principal advantages compared to tradition otoscopic examinations: 1). the otoscope allows for vastly superior views into the canal, with more detailed views of the canal and tympanic membrane. 2). The head and cone of the scope are much smaller than traditional cones, which translates to more patient comfort. This has proven to be especially helpful in the examination of feline ear canals. The Wispr is also safer to use in fractious animals, as my face is further away from the animal. I would not hesitate to recommend this to any veterinarian.
Lori Buffa, MD –
I’ve been using the WISPR for over a year in clinical private practice. I consider it a valuable investment for the following reasons: 1) young waxy ears or narrow ear canals can be difficult to examine. The thin speculum and well directed light allows easy visualization once technique is established; 2) photos have been downloaded into patients chart which has allowed ENT to visualize problem(s); 3) great assist when a resident is unable to visualize the TM/pathology but photo or video is obtained by me and shared for teaching purposes — or to get a 2nd opinion on the problem at hand! 4) the children enjoy the “surprise” caricature photo that we have option to select …. puppy dogs in the ears are a favorite. Last but a very important factor for my continued use of the WISPR is the wonderful customer service from WiscMed. From simple questions to excellent part replacement (I recommend the protective case for the accidental dropped instrument). Long gone are the difficult attempts to view a TM!
Daniel Ostrovsky –
As a clinical educator and teacher in an Internal Medicine-Pediatrics program, the WISPR has revolutionized teaching the ear exam. I can model technique for learners and encourage self-efficacy by being able to visualize their self-performed ear exams and provide concrete feedback on their ear assessments. Additionally, it has been an invaluable tool for instilling confidence in parents and patients regarding accurate diagnosis by being able to directly point out abnormalities using the WISPR display. During the pandemic the WISPR has also made what would be challenging exams with PPE much simpler and effective. From the business end, the WISPR team has been EXTREMELY responsive to feedback and has been the best customer care experience I have ever had. I feel that my investment in a WISPR comes with a team of real people who care about the product and my satisfaction. In summary, this is an amazing innovation which re-defines the otoscopic exam, making it easier and more effective and increases patient and provider satisfaction all backed by a company with heart and a commitment to excellence.
Ari Cohen, MD –
This scope is game changer for teaching especially. It has transformed how I teach about a common but difficult diagnosis. The “aha” moments have been numerous. It has also decreased the number of times a child’s ear needs to be instrumented which saves distress and discomfort for the patient and family. In this COVID era, it also enables the provider to maintain some distance between your face and the patient’s. For these reasons as well as the ability to go deeper into the canal with out discomfort and navigate past cerumen, this is a practice changing devise. The new pediatric mode has provided some “awe struck reactions” and some comic relief.