Determination of data concerning a person's auditory capacity

• US 6,007,494 A
• Filed: 03/09/1998
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anthony W. Gummer, Hans Peter Zenner
• Original Assignee: Anthony W. Gummer, Hans Peter Zenner
• Inventors: Gummer, Anthony W., Zenner, Hans Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US08/983,645
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 600/559, 600/587, 73/585
• US Class Current: 600/559
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for determining data on auditory capacity, the device having preferably non-contact means for measuring vibrations of the middle-ear ossicles (22, 23, 24) and/or the tympanic membrane (21) by means of electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic waves used for the measurement are input by means of a microscope (3), in particular an optical microscope (3). This microscope can be modular in design, and a module (5) can be provided for the input of a laser beam (9). The invention also concerns a method of determining data on auditory capacity, the method calling for the vibration of the middle ear and/or the eardrum to be measured by means of electromagnetic waves and, from the measurement signals thus obtained, the contributions to the total signal by the middle ear and/or the eardrum determined in at least one processing step.

Claims

1. A method of sensing data relevant to events occurring in an internal ear, said method comprising inputting coherent electromagnetic waves from an interferometer, via a focusing objective associated therewith and directly arranged thereon, directly into an optical microscope, beaming said waves through said optical microscope onto at least one of an ossicle of the middle ear and the ear-drum, wherein reflected waves interfere with said input waves, and determining from a resulting measured signal an internal ear component thereof by deducting a middle ear component, said middle ear component being determined from at least one of model data and data gained from experience and representing movement of the ossicles in the audible range.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said coherent electromagnetic waves are comprised of laser radiation.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, which further comprises choosing a helium-neon laser as said laser.

4. A device for sensing data relevant to events occurring in an internal ear by non-contact vibration measurement of ossicles in at least one of a middle ear portion and an ear-drum with coherent electromagnetic waves, said device comprising an optical microscope, an interferometer and analysis means for analyzing signals or data obtained by use of said device, wherein electromagnetic waves from said interferometer are input directly into said microscope via a focusing objective associated with said interferometer, arranged directly by said microscope, aimed at at least one of the ossicles and ear-drum and are guidable by said microscope after reflection back into said interferometer.

5. The device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said microscope is a surgical microscope.

6. The device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said microscope comprises at least one mirror.

7. The device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said interferometer comprises a vibrometer.

8. The device as set forth in claim 4, which further comprises means for stimulation of the ear assignable to or arrangeable in an external ear canal by which events can be stimulated in the ear, said stimulation means being introduced as near as possible to at least one of the ear-drum and the ossicles without coming into contact therewith.

9. The device as set forth in claim 8, wherein said stimulation means provides acoustic stimulation.

10. The device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said analysis means comprises a software analyzer capable of deriving components of the inner ear which contribute toward the measured signals.

11. The device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said at least one mirror is a deflection mirror.

12. The device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said interometer is a laser Doppler vibrometer.

13. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said stimulation means is arranged in an external ear canal.

14. A method of sensing aural data with a device comprising means for producing electromagnetic waves;

means for measuring vibrations of at least one of a middle ear portion and an eardrum of an ear caused by said electromagnetic waves; and

a microscope which permits passage of said waves into said ear, which method comprises transmitting electromagnetic waves into an inner portion of the ear, measuring vibrations of at least one of the middle ear and the eardrum due to said electromagnetic waves, converting said measured vibrations into a signal composed of an input signal component, a middle ear component and an internal ear component, and determining from said signal at least one of the middle ear and internal ear components.

15. The method of claim 14, which comprises determining the internal ear signal component.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the internal ear signal component is determined by deducting from the total signal the input signal component and the middle ear signal component.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said electromagnetic waves are configured into a single beam.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said single beam is a laser beam.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said electromagnetic waves are transmitted in the form of a laser beam inputted through said microscope onto the ear-drum, a reflected portion of said laser beam is caused to interfere with the input laser beam, a total signal is generated representing data produced thereby and at least one of a middle ear component and an inner ear component of said signal is deduced from the total signal.

20. The method of claim 19, which further comprises deducting a laser light input signal component from said total signal and determining characteristics of the inner ear portion from a remaining signal portion.

21. The method of claim 19, which further comprises deducting a laser light input signal component and a middle ear signal component from said total signal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said middle ear signal component is deducted based upon data from at least one of a model and from previous experience, said data comprising a record of movement of the ossicles in the audible range of the electromagnetic spectrum.