Ear canal electrode

• US 4,741,344 A
• Filed: 11/17/1986
• Issued: 05/03/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nicolet Biomedical, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Nicolet Instrument Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Danby, Hal C., Beigler, Myron A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Kyle L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Application Number:
  US06/932,007
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 128/639, 128/642, 128/746, 128/151-152, 128/341, 128/343, 128/9, 128/789, 181/129-130, 181/135, 381/68.6
• US Class Current: 600/379
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0215 Silver or silver chloride containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0217 Electrolyte containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/12 Audiometering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/283 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/04 Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense, e.g. through the touch sense electronic stimulation of auditory nerves A61N1/36036

Abstract

A non-invasive, external ear canal electrode useful for transmitting sound stimulus to an ear canal and for conducting electrical signals picked up from the ear canal epidermal surface including a tube comprising electroconductive metal and having a resilient plastic foam element impregnated with an electrolytically conductive medium attached to the end to be placed in the ear.

Claims

1. A non-invasive external ear canal electrode comprising a tubular electrode means of electro-conductive material for conducting electrical signals picked up from the ear canal surface and for transmitting a sound stimulus to an ear canal, said electrode means having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end having mounted thereon an electro-conductive, resilient, annular plastic foam means through which the electrode means protrudes for contacting the skin surface of the ear canal and picking up and conducting electrical signals therefrom.

2. The ear canal electrode of claim 1 wherein the tubular electrode means comprises metal.

3. The ear canal electrode of claim 2 wherein the metal consists essentially of silver or stainless steel.

4. The ear canal electrode of claim 1 wherein the plastic foam means is a open-cell plastic foam.

5. The ear canal electrode of claim 4 wherein the plastic foam means is impregnated with an electrolytically conductive medium.

6. The ear canal electrode of claim 5 wherein a portion of the plastic foam means proximate the distal end of the electrode means is compressibly held against the electrode means by an annular clamping means.

7. The ear canal electrode of claim 1 wherein the tubular electrode means is an acoustical horn.