Ear probe for conducting multiple diagnostic hearing tests

• US 20040071295A1
• Filed: 05/15/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Biocell LP, Tympany Inc. (Tympany Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tympany Inc. (Tympany Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Wasden, Christopher L., Thornton, Aaron, Birck, Jon
• Application Number:
  US10/438,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20040071295A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0051 by applying vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/12 Audiometering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

An ear probe for insertion into a first ear of a patient for conducting multiple diagnostic hearing tests is provided. The probe comprises at least one lumen for transmitting test sounds to the ear of the patient, and at least one lumen for transmitting a hearing test result from the ear of the patient. The hearing test result may be a sound or an electronic signal representing the sound. The lumens are preferably coupled to transducers for providing the test sounds to the patient and transmitting the test result sounds through the ear probe. Multiple test sound lumens and test result lumens may be provided for different hearing tests, and an air delivery lumen is preferably provided for delivering air to and removing air from the ear during tympanometric testing.

Claims

1. An insertion probe for conducting multiple diagnostic hearing tests in a first ear of a patient, said multiple tests comprising an audiometric hearing test and a second hearing test selected from the group consisting of an acoustic immittance hearing test and an otoacoustic emission hearing test.

2. The insertion probe of claim 1, wherein said second hearing test is an acoustic immittance hearing test selected from the group consisting of a tympanogram test and an acoustic reflex test.

3. The insertion probe of claim 1, wherein said second hearing test is an otoacoustic emission test.

4. The insertion probe of claim 1 further comprising at least one sound lumen for delivering an audiometric test sound, an acoustic immittance test sound, and an otoacoustic emission test sound to said first ear, and at least one receiver lumen for transmitting a hearing test result selected from the group consisting of an acoustic immittance test result sound, an electronic signal representing an acoustic immittance test result, an otoacoustic emission sound, and an electronic signal representing an otoacoustic emission sound.

5. The insertion probe of claim 4 wherein said at least one sound lumen comprises a plurality of lumens for delivering said audiometric test sound, said acoustic immittance test sound, and said otoacoustic emission test sound to said first ear.

6. The insertion probe of claim 4 wherein said at least one receiver lumen comprises a plurality of receiver lumens.

7. The insertion probe of claim 6 wherein said plurality of receiver lumens comprises at least an acoustic immittance receiver lumen for transmitting an acoustic immittance hearing test result selected from the group consisting of an acoustic immittance test result sound and an electronic signal representing an acoustic immittance test result, and an otoacoustic emission receiver lumen for transmitting an otoacoustic emission hearing test result selected from the group consisting of an otoacoustic emission sound and an electronic signal representing an otoacoustic emission sound.

8. A system for conducting an audiometric hearing test and an otoacoustic emission hearing test in a first ear of a patient comprising a first probe element for insertion into the external auditory canal of said first ear, said system being capable of conducting both an audiometric test and an otoacoustic emission test in said first ear after insertion of said first probe element.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said first probe element comprises at least one sound conduit for delivering an audiometric test sound and an otoacoustic emission test sound to said first ear, and at least one receiver conduit for transmitting an otoacoustic emission test result selected from the group consisting of an otoacoustic emission sound, and an electronic signal representing an otoacoustic emission sound.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising at least one speaker for providing an audiometric test sound and an otoacoustic emission test sound to said first ear through said at least one sound conduit, and at least one microphone for receiving an otoacoustic emission sound from said first ear.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said at least one speaker is positioned adjacent to said first probe element.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said at least one microphone is positioned within said first probe element.

13. The system of claim 8 further comprising a second probe element for insertion into the external auditory canal of a second ear of said patient, wherein said system is capable, after insertion of said first and second probe elements, of conducting both an audiometric test and an otoacoustic emission test in both said first ear and said second ear without removing said first and second probe elements from said first and second ears.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein said first probe element further comprises a sealing element for providing an airtight seal within the external auditory canal.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said seal comprises an elastomeric polymer foam and provides said airtight seal by engagement between said foam and said external auditory canal.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said first probe element provides said airtight seal to create a pressure chamber within said external auditory canal, said pressure chamber comprising a portion of the external auditory canal bounded on the lateral side by the first probe element and on the medial side by the patient'"'"'s eardrum.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising an air compressor for providing an air pressure to the pressure chamber.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the air compressor is reversible and is capable of delivering air to and removing air from the pressure chamber.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the air compressor is capable of creating a positive pressure or a negative pressure in the pressure chamber.

20. A system for conducting an audiometric hearing test and an acoustic immittance hearing test in a first ear of a patient comprising a first probe element for insertion into the external auditory canal of said first ear, said system being capable of conducting both an audiometric test and an acoustic immittance test in said first ear after insertion of said first probe element.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said first probe element comprises at least one sound conduit for delivering an audiometric test sound and an acoustic immittance test sound selected from the group consisting of a tympanogram test sound and an acoustic reflex test sound to said first ear, and at least one receiver conduit for transmitting an acoustic immittance hearing test result selected from the group consisting of an acoustic immittance test result sound and an electronic signal representing an acoustic immittance test result.

22. A system for conducting an audiometric hearing test and an otoacoustic emission hearing test in a first ear of a patient comprising a first probe element for insertion into the external auditory canal of said first ear, said system being capable of conducting both an audiometric test and an otoacoustic emission test in said first ear without removing said first probe element from said first ear.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a second probe element for insertion into the external auditory canal of a second ear of said patient, wherein said system is capable, after insertion of said first and second probe elements, of conducting both an audiometric test and an otoacoustic emission test in both said first ear and said second ear without removing said first and second probe elements from said first and second ears.

24. A system for conducting an audiometric hearing test and an acoustic immittance hearing test in a first ear of a patient comprising a first probe element for insertion into the external auditory canal of said first ear, said system being capable of conducting both an audiometric test and an acoustic immittance test in said first ear without removing said first probe element from said first ear.

25. A system for conducting multiple diagnostic hearing tests in a first ear of a patient comprising a first probe element for insertion within said first ear, said system being capable of conducting each of an audiometric threshold hearing test, a tympanogram test, an acoustic reflex test, and an otoacoustic emission test in said first ear without removing said first probe element from said first ear.

26. The insertion probe of claim 25 further comprising at least one sound conduit for delivering an audiometric test sound, a tympanogram test sound, an acoustic reflex test sound, and an otoacoustic emission test sound to said first ear.

27. The insertion probe of claim 26 further comprising a first receiver conduit for transmitting a hearing test result selected from the group consisting of an otoacoustic emission sound and an electronic signal representing an otoacoustic emission sound, and at least a second receiver conduit for transmitting a hearing test result selected from the group consisting of an a tympanogram test result sound, an electronic signal representing a tympanogram test result sound, an acoustic reflex test result sound, and an electronic signal representing an acoustic reflex test result sound.

28. An insertion probe for conducting multiple diagnostic hearing tests in a first ear of a patient, each of said multiple diagnostic hearing tests being conducted by providing a sound through said insertion probe to said first ear, receiving a sound from said first ear through said probe, or both providing a sound through said insertion probe and receiving a sound through said insertion probe.