Light based hearing systems, apparatus, and methods
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing a tympanic lens, the method comprising the steps of:
- creating a digital model of at least a portion of a user'"'"'s ear canal;
manufacturing an ear canal mold using the digital model, wherein the ear canal mold includes a recessed portion wherein the recessed portion includes a model of at least a portion of the user'"'"'s medial ear canal, including the tympanic membrane;
manufacturing an alignment tool, including a chassis alignment feature and a photodetector alignment feature, wherein the chassis alignment feature and the photodetector alignment feature are unique to the anatomy of the user;
mating the ear canal mold and alignment tool;
mounting a chassis in the ear canal mold using the chassis alignment feature to properly align the chassis in the ear canal mold;
mounting a photodetector to the chassis; and
using the photodetector alignment feature to position the photodetector on the chassis prior to gluing the photodetector in place,wherein the method further comprises a step of creating registration markers to align the digital model with global predetermined coordinates of a digital working environment after a step of digitally scanning an ear canal impression to create the digital model of the user'"'"'s ear canal.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention include a method of aligning the elements of a tympanic lens, the method comprising the steps of: forming mold of a user'"'"'s ear canal, including the user'"'"'s tympanic membrane; digitally scanning the ear canal mold to create a digital model of the user'"'"'s ear canal; using the digital data to size a chassis for the tympanic lens; manufacturing a chassis; manufacturing an ear canal mold, manufacturing an alignment tool, including a chassis alignment feature and a photodetector alignment feature; mating the ear canal mold and alignment tool; placing the chassis into the mold, using the alignment tool to fix the position of the chassis with respect to a model of the user'"'"'s tympanic membrane and features thereof; mounting a microactuator and photodetector to the chassis; and using the photodetector alignment feature to position the photodetector prior to fixing the photodetector in place.
518 Citations
14 Claims
-
1. A method of manufacturing a tympanic lens, the method comprising the steps of:
-
creating a digital model of at least a portion of a user'"'"'s ear canal; manufacturing an ear canal mold using the digital model, wherein the ear canal mold includes a recessed portion wherein the recessed portion includes a model of at least a portion of the user'"'"'s medial ear canal, including the tympanic membrane; manufacturing an alignment tool, including a chassis alignment feature and a photodetector alignment feature, wherein the chassis alignment feature and the photodetector alignment feature are unique to the anatomy of the user; mating the ear canal mold and alignment tool; mounting a chassis in the ear canal mold using the chassis alignment feature to properly align the chassis in the ear canal mold; mounting a photodetector to the chassis; and using the photodetector alignment feature to position the photodetector on the chassis prior to gluing the photodetector in place, wherein the method further comprises a step of creating registration markers to align the digital model with global predetermined coordinates of a digital working environment after a step of digitally scanning an ear canal impression to create the digital model of the user'"'"'s ear canal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of verifying the alignment of a user unique light tip and tympanic lens, the method comprising the steps of:
-
manufacturing a light tip using a digital model of the lateral portion of the user'"'"'s ear canal, the tympanic lens including an emitter; manufacturing a tympanic lens using a digital model of the medial portion of the user'"'"'s ear canal, including the user'"'"'s tympanic membrane, the tympanic lens including a photodetector; manufacturing a verification fixture, the verification fixture comprising; an ear canal mold manufactured using the digital model of the lateral portion of user'"'"'s ear canal; a tympanic lens mold manufactured using the digital representation of the medial portion of a user'"'"'s ear canal; mating the ear canal mold and tympanic lens mold in a manner which replicates the relation between the user'"'"'s ear canal and tympanic membrane; positioning the light tip in the ear canal mold; positioning the tympanic lens in the tympanic lens mold; exciting the emitter in the light tip; and measuring electrical output from the photodetector.
-
-
13. A method of creating one or more alignment tools, the method comprising:
-
making one or more physical impressions of a user'"'"'s ear canal; scanning the one or more impressions to create one or more digital models of the user'"'"'s ear canal, including the user'"'"'s tympanic membrane; digitally combining the one or more digital models to create a combined digital model of the user'"'"'s ear canal; creating a first alignment tool using a distal portion of the combined digital model, wherein the first alignment tool replicates, at least in part, the user'"'"'s tympanic membrane and surrounding anatomy; creating a second alignment tool, the second alignment tool comprising a photodetector alignment feature and a chassis alignment feature; and creating a third alignment tool, the third alignment tool comprising the first and second alignment tools. - View Dependent Claims (14)
-
Specification