Method and apparatus for determining the viability and survival of sensori-neutral elements within the inner ear
First Claim
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1. A method of diagnosing the extent of survival of the peripheral sensori-neural elements with a patient, comprising the steps of:
- stimulating the inner ear of the patient with a first electrical stimulus signal and a second electrical stimulus signal having a first predetermined delay with respect to said first electrical stimulus signal;
measuring the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first electrical stimulus signal and said second electrical stimulus signal having a first predetermined delaysthen stimulating the inner ear of the patient with said first electrical stimulus signal and said second electrical stimsulus signal having a second predetermined delay with respect to said first electrical stimulus signal;
measuring the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first electrical stimulus signal and said second electrical stimulus signal having a second predetermined delay; and
comparing the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first and second electrical stimulus signals with said first predetermined delay with the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first and second electrical stimulus signal with said second predetermined delay.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for diagnosing the extent of survival of the peripheral sensori-neural elements within the inner ear of a patient by stimulating the patient with one or more pair of electrical stimulus signals having a known amplitude and inter-signal delay, and by measuring the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from these stimulus signals and comparing the activity which results from the second stimulus signal with the activity which results from the first stimulus signal.
156 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of diagnosing the extent of survival of the peripheral sensori-neural elements with a patient, comprising the steps of:
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stimulating the inner ear of the patient with a first electrical stimulus signal and a second electrical stimulus signal having a first predetermined delay with respect to said first electrical stimulus signal; measuring the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first electrical stimulus signal and said second electrical stimulus signal having a first predetermined delays then stimulating the inner ear of the patient with said first electrical stimulus signal and said second electrical stimsulus signal having a second predetermined delay with respect to said first electrical stimulus signal; measuring the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first electrical stimulus signal and said second electrical stimulus signal having a second predetermined delay; and comparing the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first and second electrical stimulus signals with said first predetermined delay with the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first and second electrical stimulus signal with said second predetermined delay. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for determining the viability of peripheral sensori-neural elements within a cochlea of a patient, comprising:
- means for stimulating the inner ear of the patient with a first electrical stimulus signal and a second electrical stimulus signal having a first predetermined delay with respect to said first electrical stimulus signal;
means for measuring the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first electrical stimulus signal and said second electrical stimulus signal having a first predetermined delay; means for stimulating the inner ear of the patient with said first electrical stimulus signal and said second electrical stimulus signal having a second predetermined delay with respect to said first electrical stimulus signal; means for measuring the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first electrical stimulus signal and said second electrical stimulus signal having a second predetermined delay; and means for comparing the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first and second electrical stimulus signal with said first predetermined delay with the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first and second electrical stimulus signal with said second predetermined delay. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- means for stimulating the inner ear of the patient with a first electrical stimulus signal and a second electrical stimulus signal having a first predetermined delay with respect to said first electrical stimulus signal;
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15. A method of diagnosing the extent of survival of the peripheral sensori-neural elements within a patient, comprising the steps of:
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stimulating the inner ear of the patient with a first electrical stimulus signal; measuring the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first electrical stimulus signal; stimulating the inner ear of the patient with a second electrical stimulus signal and a third electrical stimulus signal having a first predetermined delay with respect to said second electrical stimulus signal; measuring the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said second electrical stimulus signal and said third electrical stimulus signal; subtracting the measured electrical activity within the nervous system which results from said first electrical stimulus signal from the measured electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said second and third electrical stimulus signals; stimulating the inner ear of the patient with a fourth electrical stimulus signal and a fifth electrical stimulus signal having a second predetermined delay with respect to said fourth electrical stimulus signal; measuring the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said fourth electrical stimulus signal and said fifth electrical stimulus signal; subtracting the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said first electrical stimulus signal from the measured electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said fourth and fifth electrical stimulus signals; and comparing the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient resulting from said first subtraction with the electrical activity within the nervous system of the patient which results from said second subtraction.
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Specification