External ear canal pressure regulation system
First Claim
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1. A method of regulating external ear canal pressure, comprising:
- sealably engaging an earpiece with an external ear canal of an ear as a barrier between an external ear canal pressure and an ambient pressure, said earpiece coupled to a pressure regulation device operable to generate a pressure differential between said external ear canal pressure and said ambient pressure, wherein said pressure differential corresponds to a pressure differential amplitude;
setting a pre-selected pressure differential amplitude; and
operating said pressure regulation device, said pressure regulation device;
generating with a fluid flow generator said pressure differential corresponding to said pressure differential amplitude;
sensing said pressure differential amplitude with a pressure sensor;
comparing said pressure differential amplitude to said pre-selected pressure differential amplitude with a pressure differential amplitude comparator;
compensating for variance occurring between said pressure differential amplitude and said pre-selected pressure differential amplitude by generation of pressure differential amplitude compensation signal with a pressure sensor signal analyzer; and
maintaining said pressure differential amplitude at said pre-selected pressure differential amplitude with a fluid flow generator controller responsive to said pressure differential amplitude compensation signal.
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Abstract
An external ear canal pressure regulation device including a fluid flow generator and an earpiece having a first axial earpiece conduit fluidicly coupled to the fluid flow generator, whereby the earpiece has a compliant earpiece external surface configured to sealably engage an external ear canal as a barrier between an external ear canal pressure and an ambient pressure.
184 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of regulating external ear canal pressure, comprising:
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sealably engaging an earpiece with an external ear canal of an ear as a barrier between an external ear canal pressure and an ambient pressure, said earpiece coupled to a pressure regulation device operable to generate a pressure differential between said external ear canal pressure and said ambient pressure, wherein said pressure differential corresponds to a pressure differential amplitude; setting a pre-selected pressure differential amplitude; and operating said pressure regulation device, said pressure regulation device; generating with a fluid flow generator said pressure differential corresponding to said pressure differential amplitude; sensing said pressure differential amplitude with a pressure sensor; comparing said pressure differential amplitude to said pre-selected pressure differential amplitude with a pressure differential amplitude comparator; compensating for variance occurring between said pressure differential amplitude and said pre-selected pressure differential amplitude by generation of pressure differential amplitude compensation signal with a pressure sensor signal analyzer; and maintaining said pressure differential amplitude at said pre-selected pressure differential amplitude with a fluid flow generator controller responsive to said pressure differential amplitude compensation signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30)
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11. A method of regulating external ear canal pressure, the method comprising:
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sealably engaging a first earpiece with a first external ear canal of a first ear as a barrier between a first external ear canal pressure and an ambient pressure; sealably engaging a second earpiece with a second external ear canal of a second ear as a barrier between a second external ear canal pressure and said ambient pressure, said first earpiece and said second earpiece each coupled to a pressure regulation device operable to generate; a first pressure differential between said first external ear canal pressure and said ambient pressure, wherein said first pressure differential corresponds to a first pressure differential amplitude, and a second pressure differential between said second external ear canal pressure and said ambient pressure, wherein said second pressure differential corresponds to a second pressure differential amplitude; setting a first pre-selected pressure differential amplitude; setting a second pre-selected pressure differential amplitude; and operating said pressure regulation device, said pressure regulation device; correspondingly generating with a first fluid flow generator and a second fluid flow generator said first and second pressure differentials that correspond to said first and second pressure differential amplitudes respectively; correspondingly sensing said first and second pressure differential amplitudes with a first and second pressure sensors respectively; correspondingly comparing said first and second pressure differential amplitudes to said first and second pre-selected pressure differential amplitudes with first and second pressure differential amplitude comparators respectively; correspondingly compensating for variance occurring between said first and second pressure differential amplitudes and said first and second pre-selected pressure differential amplitudes respectively by generation of first and second pressure differential amplitude compensation signals with first and second pressure sensor signal analyzers respectively; and correspondingly maintaining said first and second pressure differential amplitudes at said first and second pre-selected pressure differential amplitudes with first and second fluid flow generator controllers responsive to said first and second pressure differential amplitude compensation signals respectively. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27)
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Specification