Plush toy with ear system for displaying normal and abnormal eardrums

摘要

An ear examination simulator unit for use by parents, children and health care professionals to recognize ear disorders in children includes an ear structure simulator module that is mounted within a head portion of a furry racoon or the like animal facsimile. The ear structure simulator module includes a tube body having orifices defined in ends thereof for receiving an otoscope or other examination tool. Mounted within the tube portion is a semi-translucent membrane and a photographic slide depicting an eardrum in normal or various diseased states. A source of illumination provides light which is distributed by the membrane in order to provide back lighting of the images on the photograpic slide. In addition, the membrane may be textured and colored so as to simulate a human eardrum in its healthy state. The plush toy provides comfort to the child during painful bouts of ear infections and during ear surgery.