Dynamic monitoring and early warning system for abnormal function of Eustachian tube

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of medical data monitoring and early warning, in particular to a dynamic monitoring and early warning system for abnormal function of Eustachian tube. The system is characterized in that a data acquisition module acquires time sequence data of various eustachian tube state parameters such as tympanic chamber vibration, pharyngeal vibration and tympanic chamber air pressure, when a human body is yawn or swallowed, the eustachian tube is opened, the larger the opening is, the stronger the vibration of the tympanic membrane and the pharyngeal is, and the transmission decibel to an external auditory canal is increased, so that a eustachian tube opening section positioning module analyzes the characteristics to determine the auditory canal opening section; the opening amplitude of the Eustachian tube is accurately obtained, and an opening section is accurately cut out; after the Eustachian tube is opened, the air pressure in the tympanic chamber approaches and tends to the external auditory canal air pressure, the health index analysis module divides an approaching section and a leveling section in an opening section based on the air pressure change consistency, analyzes the air pressure change correlation by fusing multi-aspect information, and obtains health indexes by combining section length difference and air pressure difference characteristics; and finally, monitoring and early warning are performed on the Eustachian tube of the monitored object based on the health indexes in a monitoring and early warning module.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical data monitoring and early warning, in particular to a dynamic monitoring and early warning system for abnormal function of Eustachian tube. BACKGROUND

[0002] The human Eustachian tube is a conduit connecting the middle ear cavity and the nasopharynx, with a length of about 31-38 mm. Its main function is to balance the pressure between the middle ear and the outside world. The Eustachian tube is usually open at the end close to the tympanic cavity and closed at the end close to the nasopharynx. When yawning or swallowing occurs, the Eustachian tube close to the pharynx opens and injects air into the tube, thereby changing the pressure in the tympanic cavity to approach the pressure in the external auditory canal, achieving the function of balancing the pressure on both sides of the tympanic membrane. When the structure of the Eustachian tube is damaged, the strength of its ear pressure balancing function decreases, which may cause a decrease in hearing. Therefore, it is of great safety value to monitor the function of the Eustachian tube.

[0003] In the prior art, when monitoring the ear pressure function of the monitoring object, it is generally considered that the Eustachian tube is in an open state when the tympanic cavity pressure changes, and it is considered that the Eustachian tube has a healthy function of balancing ear pressure in the open state when the tympanic cavity pressure rises. However, in actual scenarios, the tympanic cavity is sensitive to changes in air pressure, and the purpose of ear pressure balancing is to make the tympanic cavity pressure consistent with the external auditory canal pressure. Therefore, it is too one-sided to judge the health status only by the change of tympanic cavity pressure and the rise of tympanic cavity pressure, which reduces the accuracy of monitoring and early warning of the Eustachian tube of the monitoring object. SUMMARY

[0004] In order to solve the technical problem that in actual scenarios, the tympanic cavity is sensitive to changes in air pressure, and the purpose of ear pressure balancing is to make the tympanic cavity pressure consistent with the external auditory canal pressure, so it is too one-sided to judge the health status only by the change of tympanic cavity pressure and the rise of tympanic cavity pressure, which reduces the accuracy of monitoring and early warning of the Eustachian tube of the monitoring object, the purpose of the present application is to provide a dynamic monitoring and early warning system for abnormal function of Eustachian tube, the technical scheme adopted is as follows: The present application provides a dynamic monitoring and early warning system for abnormal function of Eustachian tube, which comprises: A data acquisition module for acquiring state parameter time series data of the Eustachian tube of the monitoring object, wherein the state parameters include tympanic cavity vibration, pharyngeal vibration, tympanic cavity pressure, external auditory canal pressure, external auditory canal decibel and external decibel. A Eustachian tube opening segment positioning module for analyzing the numerical characteristics of tympanic cavity vibration and pharyngeal vibration at each time, the difference between external auditory canal decibel and external decibel, obtaining the Eustachian tube opening amplitude at each time, and being used for cutting the Eustachian tube opening segment in time series. a health index analysis module, configured to divide an approaching section and a flat section based on consistency of changes in the eardrum air pressure and the external auditory canal air pressure in each Eustachian tube opening section; analyze correlation features between changes in the external auditory canal air pressure and the eardrum air pressure after fusing local change features of the external auditory canal air pressure and the Eustachian tube opening amplitude in the approaching section, and combine the length difference between the approaching section and the flat section and difference features of the external auditory canal air pressure and the eardrum air pressure in the flat section to obtain a health index of each Eustachian tube opening section; a monitoring and early warning module, configured to monitor and early warn the Eustachian tube function of the monitoring object based on change trends and numerical features of the health indexes of all Eustachian tube opening sections.

[0005] Further, the method for obtaining the Eustachian tube opening amplitude comprises: at each time, analyze numerical features of the eardrum vibration and the pharynx vibration to determine a corresponding Eustachian tube action feature value at each time; determine the Eustachian tube sound measurement intensity at each time according to the external auditory canal decibel and the extra-aural decibel at each time, wherein the Eustachian tube sound measurement intensity is positively correlated with the external auditory canal decibel, and the Eustachian tube sound measurement intensity is negatively correlated with the extra-aural decibel; normalize the product of the Eustachian tube action feature value and the Eustachian tube sound measurement intensity at each time to obtain the Eustachian tube opening amplitude at each time.

[0006] Further, the method for obtaining the Eustachian tube action feature value comprises: at each time, normalize the difference between the eardrum vibration value and a preset eardrum vibration reference value to obtain a tympanic membrane vibration degree value at each time; at each time, normalize the ratio between the pharynx vibration value and the maximum pharynx vibration value at all times to obtain a pharynx vibration performance value at each time; normalize the product of the tympanic membrane vibration degree value and the pharynx vibration performance value at each time to obtain the corresponding Eustachian tube action feature value at each time.

[0007] Further, the method for obtaining the Eustachian tube opening section comprises: in time sequence, take a time point at which the Eustachian tube opening amplitude is greater than a preset opening amplitude threshold as a target time point, and connect the target time points in time sequence to form a Eustachian tube opening section, thereby obtaining all Eustachian tube opening sections.

[0008] Further, the method for dividing the approaching section and the flat section based on consistency of changes in the eardrum air pressure and the external auditory canal air pressure in each Eustachian tube opening section comprises: At each eustachian tube opening segment, the tympanic cavity pressure and external auditory canal pressure at the same time are compared sequentially from front to back. The moment when the values ​​first become the same is taken as the breakpoint, the time period before the breakpoint is taken as the approaching segment, and the time period after the breakpoint is taken as the leveling segment.

[0009] Furthermore, the method for obtaining the health indicators includes: In the approaching segment of each Eustachian tube opening segment, within the preset neighborhood corresponding to each time moment, the local change characteristics of the external auditory canal air pressure are integrated with the Eustachian tube opening amplitude at each time moment to obtain the theoretical approach degree of the tympanic cavity air pressure at each time moment; In the approaching segment of each Eustachian tube opening segment, the correlation characteristics between the theoretical approach of tympanic cavity pressure and the change of tympanic cavity pressure are analyzed to obtain the opening and closing accuracy of each Eustachian tube opening segment. The ratio of the length of the level segment to the length of the approach segment of each Eustachian tube opening segment is used as the responsiveness of each Eustachian tube opening segment. In each level segment of the opening section of the Eustachian tube, the differences in air pressure between the external auditory canal and the tympanic cavity are compared to determine the air pressure stability of the level segment corresponding to each opening section of the Eustachian tube. The response performance, opening and closing accuracy, and air pressure stability of each Eustachian tube opening segment are multiplied together, and the normalized product is used as the health indicator for each Eustachian tube opening segment.

[0010] Furthermore, the method for obtaining the theoretical approximation of the tympanic cavity pressure includes: In the approaching segment of each Eustachian tube opening segment, within the preset neighborhood corresponding to each time moment, all external auditory canal air pressure values ​​are linearly fitted using the least squares method. The slope value of the fitted line is obtained and normalized, serving as the upward performance value. The product of the upward performance value and the Eustachian tube opening amplitude corresponding to each time moment is normalized and used as the theoretical approach degree of the tympanic cavity air pressure at each time moment.

[0011] Furthermore, the method for obtaining the opening and closing accuracy includes: In the tympanic pressure time series data corresponding to the proximal segment of each Eustachian tube opening segment, the slope value corresponding to each moment is obtained and normalized to serve as the rise value corresponding to each moment. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the theoretical approach and rise of tympanic air pressure at all times in the approach segment of each Eustachian tube opening segment was normalized and used as the opening and closing accuracy for each Eustachian tube opening segment.

[0012] Furthermore, the method for obtaining the pressure stability during the flat period includes: In each level segment of the Eustachian tube opening, the absolute value of the difference between the external auditory canal pressure and the tympanic cavity pressure at each time point is negatively correlated and mapped to the value, which is used as the pressure stability factor at each time point. The mean value of the pressure stability factor at all times points is normalized and used as the pressure stability of the level segment corresponding to each Eustachian tube opening segment.

[0013] Furthermore, the monitoring and early warning of eustachian tube function based on the changing trends and numerical characteristics of health indicators of all eustachian tube opening segments includes: All health indicators of the opening segment of the Eustachian tube are arranged according to the time sequence of the opening segment to obtain a sorted sequence. The health indicators in the sorted sequence are fitted with a straight line based on the least squares method. The slope value of the fitted line is negatively correlated and mapped to the value, which is used as the first warning factor. The mean values ​​of all health indicators of the opening segment of the Eustachian tube were negatively correlated and used as the second warning factor. The normalized value of the product of the first warning factor and the second warning factor is used as the eustachian tube warning score of the monitored object. When the Eustachian tube warning score is greater than or equal to the preset Level 1 warning threshold, a Level 1 warning is required; when the Eustachian tube warning score is less than the preset Level 1 warning threshold but greater than or equal to the preset Level 2 warning threshold, a Level 2 warning is required; when the Eustachian tube warning score is less than the preset Level 2 warning threshold, no warning is required; wherein, the severity of a Level 1 warning is greater than that of a Level 2 warning.

[0014] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: The data acquisition module simultaneously collects time-series data on various Eustachian tube state parameters, including tympanic cavity vibration, pharyngeal vibration, tympanic cavity air pressure, external auditory canal air pressure, external auditory canal decibels, and external decibels. These parameters reflect the functional state of the Eustachian tube from different perspectives, greatly improving diagnostic accuracy. When a person yawns or swallows, the Eustachian tube opens. The greater the opening amplitude of the Eustachian tube, the greater the airflow into the tube, resulting in stronger vibrations of the tympanic membrane and pharynx. Simultaneously, the opening of the Eustachian tube introduces white noise into the nasal cavity, increasing the decibels transmitted from the Eustachian tube to the external auditory canal. Therefore, the Eustachian tube opening segment localization module, by analyzing the numerical characteristics of tympanic cavity and pharyngeal vibrations at each moment, as well as the difference between the external auditory canal decibels and external decibels, can accurately determine the Eustachian tube opening amplitude at each moment and accurately extract the Eustachian tube opening segment in time sequence. When the Eustachian tube opens, the incoming airflow causes the air pressure in the tympanic cavity to rapidly approach and gradually equalize with the air pressure in the external auditory canal, thus maintaining pressure balance on both sides of the tympanic membrane. Therefore, the health indicator analysis module divides each open segment of the Eustachian tube into an approaching segment and a leveling segment based on the consistency of changes in tympanic cavity air pressure and external auditory canal air pressure. It also integrates information such as local changes in external auditory canal air pressure and the amplitude of Eustachian tube opening to analyze the correlation characteristics between these changes and tympanic cavity air pressure. Furthermore, it combines the length differences between the approaching and leveling segments, as well as the differences in external auditory canal air pressure and tympanic cavity air pressure in the leveling segment, to comprehensively derive the health indicators for each open segment of the Eustachian tube. This multi-dimensional analysis method comprehensively considers various influencing factors of Eustachian tube function, enabling a more accurate reflection of the health status of the Eustachian tube. Ultimately, the monitoring and early warning module provides richer and more reliable early warning information for clinical diagnosis. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions and advantages in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a system block diagram of a dynamic monitoring and early warning system for eustachian tube dysfunction provided in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a method for obtaining the opening amplitude of the Eustachian tube according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method for obtaining health indicators according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the system structure of a dynamic monitoring and early warning system for eustachian tube dysfunction provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve its intended purpose, the following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments, details the specific implementation, structure, features, and effects of a dynamic monitoring and early warning system for eustachian tube dysfunction proposed according to the present invention. In the following description, different "one embodiment" or "another embodiment" do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, specific features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments can be combined in any suitable form.

[0018] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0019] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, details the specific scheme of the dynamic monitoring and early warning system for eustachian tube dysfunction provided by the present invention.

[0020] Please see Figure 1 The diagram shows a system block diagram of a dynamic monitoring and early warning system for eustachian tube dysfunction provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The system includes: a data acquisition module 101, a eustachian tube opening segment positioning module 102, a health indicator analysis module 103, and a monitoring and early warning module 104.

[0021] The data acquisition module 101 is used to acquire time-series data of the state parameters of the Eustachian tube of the monitored object, wherein the state parameters include tympanic cavity vibration, pharyngeal vibration, tympanic cavity air pressure, external auditory canal air pressure, external auditory canal decibels, and external decibels.

[0022] The Eustachian tube primarily functions within the tympanic cavity of the middle ear. For ease of understanding, its structural location is briefly described below: the tympanic membrane forms the middle wall for pressure equalization, with the external auditory canal on the outer side and the tympanic cavity on the inner side. The tympanic cavity itself is also one end of the Eustachian tube, and the other end is the pharynx. The Eustachian tube is usually open on the side closer to the tympanic cavity and closed on the side closer to the pharynx. When a person swallows or yawns, the side of the Eustachian tube closer to the pharynx opens, allowing airflow into the tube. This airflow causes the pressure within the tympanic cavity to rise rapidly, approaching the pressure in the external auditory canal, thus achieving ear pressure equalization. As a crucial passage connecting the tympanic cavity and the nasopharynx, the Eustachian tube plays a vital role in maintaining normal middle ear pressure, draining middle ear secretions, and preventing retrograde infection from the nasopharynx. When parts of the Eustachian tube are damaged, its ear pressure equalization function weakens, potentially leading to hearing loss. Therefore, functional monitoring of the Eustachian tube has significant safety value.

[0023] To monitor and provide early warning of the Eustachian tube status of the monitored subjects, the data acquisition module first acquired time-series data of various state parameters of the Eustachian tube. These state parameters include: tympanic cavity vibration (a specialized vibration sensor is carefully placed near the tympanic membrane of the monitored subject, inserted through the ear canal and fixed in a suitable position); pharyngeal vibration (the vibration sensor is fixed to the outer skin surface of the monitored subject's pharynx, such as near the Adam's apple, using medical tape or a dedicated fixing device); tympanic cavity air pressure (a pressure sensor is carefully inserted into the tympanic cavity of the monitored subject through a special catheter, ensuring a good seal to prevent air leakage from affecting the measurement results); external auditory canal air pressure (a pressure sensor is placed at the opening of the monitored subject's external auditory canal to ensure that the actual air pressure inside the external auditory canal is measured); external auditory canal decibels (the probe of a decibel meter is placed at the opening of the monitored subject's external auditory canal, maintaining a suitable distance and angle to ensure accurate measurement of the sound intensity inside the external auditory canal); and external decibels (primarily referring to the decibel level of the monitored subject's environment, acquired using a decibel meter).

[0024] It should be noted that the timing data of the various status parameters mentioned above must be collected simultaneously. The collection frequency is set to 50Hz, and the collection length of the timing data is set to 10 minutes. The collection frequency and the collection length of the timing data can be adjusted according to the implementation scenario, and are not limited here.

[0025] In the embodiments of the present invention, the collection and acquisition of personal information data are authorized by the relevant users, and the process does not violate relevant laws and regulations, nor does it violate public order and good morals.

[0026] The Eustachian tube opening segment positioning module 102 is used to analyze the numerical characteristics of tympanic cavity vibration and pharyngeal vibration at each moment, the difference between external auditory canal decibels and external decibels, obtain the Eustachian tube opening amplitude at each moment, and use it to extract the Eustachian tube opening segment in time sequence.

[0027] The Eustachian tube connects the tympanic cavity of the middle ear to the nasopharynx. One of its main functions is to regulate the pressure within the middle ear cavity, maintaining its balance with the external atmospheric pressure. The opening and closing of the Eustachian tube is a complex physiological process closely related to the pressure balance and sound conduction functions of the middle ear. Meanwhile, Eustachian tube dysfunction is a common condition; for example, secretory otitis media is often associated with abnormal Eustachian tube opening. Only by clarifying the specific time and extent of the opening segment can we further analyze the changing patterns of various state parameters during the opening process and reveal the intrinsic mechanisms of normal Eustachian tube function and abnormal pathological changes.

[0028] When a person yawns or swallows, the Eustachian tube opens. The larger the opening of the Eustachian tube, the greater the airflow into the tube, resulting in stronger vibrations of the tympanic membrane and pharynx. At the same time, the opening of the Eustachian tube brings white noise to the nasal cavity, increasing the acoustic decibels transmitted from the Eustachian tube to the external auditory canal. Therefore, in this module, the opening amplitude of the Eustachian tube at various times can be obtained based on the vibration of the tympanic cavity and pharynx and the acoustic decibel performance of the Eustachian tube, providing accurate data reference for subsequent positioning of the Eustachian tube opening segment.

[0029] Preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the method for obtaining the eustachian tube opening amplitude includes: Please see Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a method flowchart for obtaining the eustachian tube opening amplitude according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method includes the following steps: Step S201: At each time point, analyze the numerical characteristics of tympanic cavity vibration and pharyngeal vibration, and determine the corresponding eustachian tube function characteristic value at each time point.

[0030] When the Eustachian tube opens, airflow is introduced, which vibrates the tympanic membrane. The greater the opening amplitude of the Eustachian tube, the greater the airflow and the stronger the tympanic membrane vibration. Therefore, at each moment, the difference between the tympanic cavity vibration value and a preset tympanic cavity vibration reference value is calculated. A positive and larger difference indicates more pronounced tympanic membrane vibration. This difference is then normalized and used as the tympanic membrane vibration intensity value at each moment. A larger tympanic membrane vibration intensity value indicates a greater Eustachian tube opening amplitude. Since the difference can be positive or negative, a normalization method can be used... Function. The preset tympanic cavity vibration reference value in this embodiment of the invention can be obtained based on monitoring data of normal, disease-free individuals, or set by a doctor; the method of acquisition is not limited here.

[0031] Similarly, when the Eustachian tube opens and the airflow enters, it causes vibration in the pharynx. The greater the airflow, the more intense the vibration. Therefore, at each moment, the ratio of the pharyngeal vibration value to the maximum pharyngeal vibration value across all moments is calculated. The larger the ratio, the more pronounced the pharyngeal vibration. This ratio is then normalized and used as the pharyngeal vibration value at each moment. A larger pharyngeal vibration value is considered a greater opening amplitude of the Eustachian tube. Normalization is a technique well-known to those skilled in the art. The normalization function can be linear normalization or standard normalization, etc., and the specific normalization method is not limited here.

[0032] Based on the foregoing analysis, both the tympanic membrane vibration intensity and the pharyngeal vibration performance are positively correlated with the opening amplitude of the Eustachian tube. Therefore, the normalized product of the tympanic membrane vibration intensity and the pharyngeal vibration performance at each moment is used as the Eustachian tube function characteristic value for each moment. The larger the Eustachian tube function characteristic value, the stronger the vibration performance of the pharynx and tympanic membrane of the monitored object at that moment, the greater the likelihood of Eustachian tube function, and thus the greater the probability that the Eustachian tube is in a highly open state. Normalization is a technique well-known to those skilled in the art, and the normalization function can be linear normalization or standard normalization, etc. The specific normalization method is not limited here.

[0033] Step S202: Determine the acoustic intensity of the eustachian tube at each time point based on the decibel level in the external auditory canal and the external auditory canal.

[0034] The higher the acoustic decibel level transmitted from the Eustachian tube to the external auditory canal, the greater the opening amplitude of the Eustachian tube can be to some extent. However, the ambient acoustic level varies in complex scenarios. Under high ambient acoustic decibel levels, external acoustic decibel levels can be transmitted back to the Eustachian tube through the external auditory canal, thus confusing some of the acoustic decibel levels transmitted from the Eustachian tube to the external auditory canal. According to the above analysis, for the monitored object, if the acoustic decibel level transmitted from the Eustachian tube to the external auditory canal is higher at a certain moment, and the acoustic decibel level outside the monitored object is lower, then it can more accurately indicate that the opening amplitude of the Eustachian tube is higher. Therefore, the acoustic intensity of the Eustachian tube should be positively correlated with the decibel level of the external auditory canal, and the acoustic intensity of the Eustachian tube should be negatively correlated with the external decibel level. In this embodiment of the invention, the aforementioned logic can be implemented using a ratio. When the external decibel level is not 0, the normalized value of the ratio between the external auditory canal decibel level and the external decibel level at each moment is used as the acoustic intensity of the Eustachian tube at each moment. If a special case occurs, such that the external decibel level at a certain moment is 0, the sum of the external decibel level at that moment and a preset parameter is used as the denominator, and the external auditory canal decibel level is used as the numerator. The normalized value of the ratio is then used as the acoustic intensity of the Eustachian tube at that moment. The greater the acoustic intensity of the Eustachian tube, the higher the opening amplitude of the Eustachian tube. Normalization is a technique well-known to those skilled in the art. The normalization function can be linear normalization or standard normalization, etc., and the specific normalization method is not limited here. The preset parameter is used to prevent the denominator from being 0, and its value can be 0.001.

[0035] Step S203: Combine the eustachian tube function characteristic value and eustachian tube acoustic intensity at each time point to obtain the eustachian tube opening amplitude at each time point.

[0036] As shown in step S201, the larger the eustachian tube function characteristic value, the greater the probability that the eustachian tube is in a highly open state. As shown in step S202, the greater the eustachian tube acoustic intensity, the higher the eustachian tube opening amplitude. Therefore, both the eustachian tube function characteristic value and the eustachian tube acoustic intensity at each moment are positively correlated with the eustachian tube opening amplitude. Thus, the normalized product of the eustachian tube function characteristic value and the eustachian tube acoustic intensity at each moment is taken as the eustachian tube opening amplitude at each moment. The larger the eustachian tube opening amplitude, the more pronounced the opening amplitude of the eustachian tube at that moment, and the more attention it requires. Normalization is a technique well-known to those skilled in the art. The normalization function can be linear normalization or standard normalization, etc., and the specific normalization method is not limited here.

[0037] Based on the aforementioned process, the opening amplitude of the Eustachian tube at each moment in the time series data can be obtained. This indicator measures the degree of opening of the Eustachian tube, and thus the opening segment of the Eustachian tube can be extracted in time series based on this indicator.

[0038] Preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the method for obtaining the opening segment of the Eustachian tube includes: The opening amplitude of the eustachian tube can directly reflect the degree of opening of the eustachian tube at a certain moment, and the larger the value, the more obvious the opening. Therefore, in terms of time sequence, the moment when the opening amplitude of the eustachian tube is greater than the preset opening amplitude threshold is taken as the target moment. Since the opening of the eustachian tube is not an instantaneous event, but a physiological process with a certain continuous event, the target moments connected in time sequence are combined into a eustachian tube opening segment, thereby obtaining all the eustachian tube opening segments.

[0039] It should be noted that in this embodiment of the invention, the preset opening amplitude threshold is 0.65. The specific value can be adjusted according to the implementation scenario and is not limited here.

[0040] The health index analysis module 103 is used to divide the opening segment of each Eustachian tube into an approaching segment and a level segment based on the consistency of changes in tympanic cavity pressure and external auditory canal pressure. Within the approaching segment, the local change characteristics of external auditory canal pressure and the opening amplitude of the Eustachian tube are integrated to analyze the correlation characteristics between the change and tympanic cavity pressure. This is combined with the length difference between the approaching segment and the level segment, as well as the difference characteristics between external auditory canal pressure and tympanic cavity pressure in the level segment, to obtain the health index for each opening segment of the Eustachian tube.

[0041] When the Eustachian tube opens, the incoming airflow causes the air pressure in the tympanic cavity to rapidly approach the air pressure in the external auditory canal and gradually become consistent, thus maintaining the air pressure balance on both sides of the tympanic membrane. However, because the changes in the air pressure in the external auditory canal (which is close to the external auditory pressure and is mainly determined by the changing environment) are complex, the tracking and analysis of changes in the air pressure in the tympanic cavity becomes complicated. Therefore, this module, based on the opening amplitude of the Eustachian tube, also analyzes other characteristics such as the relationship between changes in air pressure in the external auditory canal and the tympanic cavity to obtain health indicators for each opening segment of the Eustachian tube in the monitored subject.

[0042] During the opening of the Eustachian tube, its function of regulating middle ear pressure exhibits different dynamic characteristics. However, the ultimate goal is to make the changes in tympanic cavity pressure and external auditory canal pressure more consistent. Therefore, within each Eustachian tube opening segment, the approaching segment and the leveling segment are divided based on the consistency of changes in tympanic cavity pressure and external auditory canal pressure. The approaching segment specifically refers to the period when the Eustachian tube is actively playing a pressure balancing role, while the leveling segment refers to the period when the changes in tympanic cavity pressure and external auditory canal pressure are relatively stable.

[0043] Preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, within each Eustachian tube opening segment, an approaching segment and a level segment are defined based on the consistency of changes in tympanic cavity pressure and external auditory canal pressure, including: At each eustachian tube opening segment, the tympanic cavity pressure and external auditory canal pressure at the same time are compared sequentially from front to back. The moment when the values ​​first become the same is taken as the breakpoint, the time period before the breakpoint is taken as the approaching segment, and the time period after the breakpoint is taken as the leveling segment.

[0044] In the proximal segment of the Eustachian tube opening, the tympanic cavity pressure rapidly converges with the external auditory canal pressure. However, due to fluctuating environmental pressures, including differences in indoor and outdoor environments, the external auditory canal pressure changes accordingly. These changes affect the tympanic cavity pressure; for example, a rapid increase in external auditory canal pressure will also lead to a corresponding increase in tympanic cavity pressure. Therefore, in the proximal segment, by integrating the local variations in external auditory canal pressure and the Eustachian tube opening amplitude, the correlation between these variations and tympanic cavity pressure is analyzed to characterize the Eustachian tube opening. The accuracy of the opening and closing amplitude of the eustachian tube during its opening period; at the same time, under normal circumstances, when the monitored subject swallows or yawns, the response speed of the eustachian tube opening can also be used to reflect the health status of the eustachian tube. The response speed can be characterized by the difference in length between the approaching segment and the level segment; furthermore, in the level segment of the eustachian tube opening segment, if the opening amplitude of the eustachian tube is more accurate, then the consistency between the external auditory canal pressure and the tympanic cavity pressure in the level segment will be higher. Therefore, by combining the above-mentioned characteristics, the health index of each eustachian tube opening segment can be determined to characterize the state characteristics of the eustachian tube of the monitored subject.

[0045] Preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the method for obtaining health indicators includes: Please see Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a method flowchart for obtaining health indicators according to an embodiment of the present invention, which includes the following steps: Step S301: In the approaching segment of each Eustachian tube opening segment, within the preset neighborhood corresponding to each time moment, the local change characteristics of the external auditory canal air pressure are fused with the Eustachian tube opening amplitude at each time moment to obtain the theoretical approach degree of the tympanic cavity air pressure at each time moment.

[0046] Within the proximal segment of each Eustachian tube opening phase, a preset neighborhood is first established for each time point. Within this preset neighborhood, all external auditory canal pressure values ​​are linearly fitted using the least squares method. The slope of the fitted line is then normalized and used as the upward trend indicator. A larger upward trend indicator indicates a stronger upward trend in the external auditory canal pressure within the preset neighborhood at that time. The normalization method used here can be... Function. It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present invention, the preset neighborhood consists of each time step and the eight time steps with the closest temporal distance to each time step. The size of the preset neighborhood can be adjusted according to the implementation scenario, and is not limited here; the least squares method is a well-known technique, and the specific process will not be described in detail.

[0047] Since a greater eustachian tube opening amplitude at each moment corresponds to a theoretically faster tympanic cavity pressure approaching the external auditory canal pressure, meaning a stronger increase in tympanic cavity pressure, the normalized product of the eustachian tube opening amplitude at each moment is used as the theoretical approximation of tympanic cavity pressure at that moment. This theoretical approximation reflects the expected changes in tympanic cavity pressure under theoretical conditions. Normalization is a technique well-known to those skilled in the art, and the normalization function can be linear or standard, etc. Specific normalization methods are not limited here.

[0048] Step S302: In the approaching segment of each Eustachian tube opening segment, analyze the correlation characteristics between the theoretical approach of the tympanic cavity pressure and the change of the tympanic cavity pressure to obtain the opening and closing accuracy of each Eustachian tube opening segment.

[0049] When the Eustachian tube is in a healthy state, the actual changes in tympanic pressure at various times in the proximal segment of the opening section of the Eustachian tube should maintain a high positive correlation with the theoretical changes.

[0050] Therefore, in the tympanic pressure time series data corresponding to the proximal segment of each Eustachian tube opening segment, the slope value at each time point is obtained and normalized to serve as the rise degree value at each time point. The rise degree value characterizes the actual change characteristics of tympanic pressure at each time point. The normalization method here can be adopted as follows: function.

[0051] Then, the Pearson correlation coefficient between the theoretical approach and the degree of rise of tympanic pressure at all times during the approach segment of each Eustachian tube opening segment is calculated. A larger Pearson correlation coefficient indicates a stronger positive correlation between the two. The Pearson correlation coefficient is then normalized and used as the opening and closing accuracy for each Eustachian tube opening segment. A higher opening and closing accuracy indicates a higher degree of consistency between the actual and theoretical working states of the Eustachian tube, thus increasing the likelihood of it being in a healthy state. Since the Pearson correlation coefficient can be positive or negative, the normalization method used here can be... function.

[0052] Step S303: In each Eustachian tube opening segment, compare the length difference characteristics between the level segment and the proximal segment to determine the responsiveness of each Eustachian tube opening segment.

[0053] If the proximal segment of the opening segment of the Eustachian tube has a smaller proportion of time compared to the level segment, it can be considered that the tympanic cavity pressure catches up with the external auditory canal pressure more quickly, and the Eustachian tube response speed is faster and the health status is better.

[0054] Therefore, the ratio of the length of the level segment to the length of the approach segment of each Eustachian tube opening segment is used as the response performance of each Eustachian tube opening segment. The greater the response performance, the more accurate the airflow input to the Eustachian tube, the faster the Eustachian tube response speed, and the better the health status.

[0055] Step S304: In the level segment of each Eustachian tube opening segment, compare the differences in air pressure in the external auditory canal and the tympanic cavity to determine the air pressure stability of the level segment corresponding to each Eustachian tube opening segment.

[0056] For the level segment of the eustachian tube opening period, the more accurate the eustachian tube opening amplitude, the smaller the difference between the air pressure in the internal and external auditory canals and the air pressure in the tympanic cavity during the level segment, which means the better the eustachian tube condition.

[0057] Therefore, within each level segment of the Eustachian tube opening, the absolute value of the difference between the external auditory canal pressure and the tympanic cavity pressure is calculated at each moment. The smaller the absolute value of the difference, the closer the external auditory canal pressure and the tympanic cavity pressure are. Therefore, the value obtained by negatively correlated mapping of this absolute value is used as the pressure stabilization factor at each moment. This negative correlation mapping can be achieved using the formula... ,in, Let x represent an exponential function with the natural constant e as the base, and let x represent the independent variable.

[0058] Finally, the mean value of the pressure stability factor at all times is normalized and used as the pressure stability of the flat segment corresponding to each Eustachian tube opening segment. The greater the pressure stability of the flat segment, the healthier the Eustachian tube is. Normalization is a technique well known to those skilled in the art, and the normalization function can be linear normalization or standard normalization, etc. The specific normalization method is not limited here.

[0059] Step S305: In each Eustachian tube opening segment, combine the corresponding response performance, opening and closing accuracy, and air pressure stability in the level segment to obtain the health indicators for each Eustachian tube opening segment.

[0060] Based on the analysis in the preceding steps, it is known that the opening and closing accuracy, responsiveness, and pressure stability of the level segment of each Eustachian tube opening segment are positively correlated with the health status of the Eustachian tube. Therefore, the responsiveness, opening and closing accuracy, and pressure stability of the level segment are multiplied together for each Eustachian tube opening segment, and the normalized product is used as the health index for each Eustachian tube opening segment. The higher the health index, the healthier the Eustachian tube of the monitored subject is in that opening segment. Normalization is a technique well-known to those skilled in the art, and the normalization function can be linear normalization or standard normalization, etc. The specific normalization method is not limited here.

[0061] The monitoring and early warning module 104 is used to monitor and provide early warning of the eustachian tube function of the monitored object based on the changing trends and numerical characteristics of health indicators of all eustachian tube opening segments.

[0062] Based on the aforementioned modules, health indicators for each Eustachian tube opening segment can be obtained every 10 minutes (this is set in this embodiment of the invention, and can be modified in other embodiments without limitation). In this module, the Eustachian tube function of the monitored object can be monitored and warned based on the changing trend and numerical characteristics of the health indicators of the Eustachian tube opening segment.

[0063] Preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the monitoring and early warning of eustachian tube function of the monitored object is based on the changing trends and numerical characteristics of health indicators of all eustachian tube opening segments, including: All health indicators of the Eustachian tube opening segments are arranged chronologically according to the opening segment, resulting in a sorted sequence. A linear regression is performed on the health indicators in the sorted sequence using the least squares method, and the slope of the fitted line is obtained. Since a higher health indicator indicates a better condition, a negative and smaller slope value indicates that the health of the Eustachian tubes of the monitored subject is gradually deteriorating over time, thus requiring a higher warning level. Therefore, the slope value of the fitted line is subjected to negative correlation mapping to correct the logical relationship, thereby obtaining the first warning factor. A larger first warning factor indicates that the health of the Eustachian tubes of the monitored subject is gradually deteriorating, requiring timely warning. This negative correlation mapping can be achieved using the formula... ,in, Let x represent an exponential function with the natural constant e as the base, and let x represent the independent variable.

[0064] Then, the mean values ​​of all health indicators for the opening segment of the Eustachian tube are negatively correlated and used as the second warning factor. Similarly, the larger the second warning factor, the more timely the warning needs to be issued. This negative correlation mapping can be achieved using the formula... ,in, Let x represent an exponential function with the natural constant e as the base, and let x represent the independent variable.

[0065] The normalized product of the first and second warning factors is used as the Eustachian tube warning score for the monitored subject. Based on the aforementioned logic, a higher Eustachian tube warning score indicates a poorer Eustachian tube health condition, requiring prompt reminders to the doctor for further examination and assessment. Therefore, a Level 1 warning is issued when the Eustachian tube warning score is greater than or equal to the preset Level 1 warning threshold; a Level 2 warning is issued when the score is less than the preset Level 1 warning threshold but greater than or equal to the preset Level 2 warning threshold; and no warning is required when the score is less than the preset Level 2 warning threshold. The severity of a Level 1 warning is greater than that of a Level 2 warning.

[0066] It should be noted that the least squares method for line fitting is a well-known technique, and the specific process will not be elaborated here; the preset first-level warning threshold is set to 0.88; the preset second-level warning threshold is set to 0.45. The specific values ​​can be adjusted according to the implementation scenario, and are not limited here.

[0067] In summary, the data acquisition module is used to simultaneously collect time-series data on various Eustachian tube state parameters, including tympanic cavity vibration, pharyngeal vibration, tympanic cavity air pressure, external auditory canal air pressure, external auditory canal decibels, and external decibels. These parameters reflect the functional state of the Eustachian tube from different perspectives, greatly improving diagnostic accuracy. When a person yawns or swallows, the Eustachian tube opens. The larger the opening of the Eustachian tube, the greater the airflow into the tube, resulting in stronger vibrations of the tympanic membrane and pharynx. Simultaneously, the opening of the Eustachian tube introduces white noise into the nasal cavity, increasing the decibels transmitted from the Eustachian tube to the external auditory canal. Therefore, the Eustachian tube opening segment localization module, by analyzing the numerical characteristics of tympanic cavity and pharyngeal vibrations at each moment, as well as the difference between the external auditory canal decibels and the external decibels, can accurately determine the Eustachian tube opening amplitude at each moment and accurately extract the Eustachian tube opening segment in time sequence. When the Eustachian tube opens, the incoming airflow causes the air pressure in the tympanic cavity to rapidly approach and gradually equalize with the air pressure in the external auditory canal, thus maintaining pressure balance on both sides of the tympanic membrane. Therefore, the health indicator analysis module divides each open segment of the Eustachian tube into an approaching segment and a leveling segment based on the consistency of changes in tympanic cavity air pressure and external auditory canal air pressure. It also integrates information such as local changes in external auditory canal air pressure and the amplitude of Eustachian tube opening to analyze the correlation characteristics between these changes and tympanic cavity air pressure. Furthermore, it combines the length differences between the approaching and leveling segments, as well as the differences in external auditory canal air pressure and tympanic cavity air pressure in the leveling segment, to comprehensively derive the health indicators for each open segment of the Eustachian tube. This multi-dimensional analysis method comprehensively considers various influencing factors of Eustachian tube function, enabling a more accurate reflection of the health status of the Eustachian tube. Ultimately, the monitoring and early warning module provides richer and more reliable early warning information for clinical diagnosis.

[0068] Please see Figure 4 This diagram illustrates a system structure of a dynamic monitoring and early warning system for eustachian tube dysfunction according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system includes a processor 400, a memory 401, a bus 402, and a communication interface 403. The processor 400, communication interface 403, and memory 401 are connected via the bus 402. The memory 401 may contain a high-speed random access memory, and the bus 402 may be an ISA bus, PCI bus, or EISA bus, etc. The processor 400 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. The memory 401 stores at least one instruction, at least one program, code set, or instruction set. When the processor loads and executes the at least one instruction, at least one program, code set, or instruction set, it implements the steps of each module in the dynamic monitoring and early warning system for eustachian tube dysfunction.

[0069] It should be noted that the order of the above embodiments of the present invention is merely for descriptive purposes and does not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments. The processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require a specific or sequential order to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0070] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments.

[0071] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A system for dynamic monitoring and early warning of eustachian tube dysfunction, characterized in that, The system comprises: a data acquisition module configured to acquire time series data of a status parameter of the eustachian tube of a monitoring subject, wherein the status parameter comprises tympanic membrane vibration, pharyngeal vibration, ear canal pressure, external ear canal decibel, and external decibel; a eustachian tube opening segment positioning module configured to analyze numerical characteristics of the tympanic membrane vibration and the pharyngeal vibration at each time, a difference between the external ear canal decibel and the external decibel, and obtain a eustachian tube opening amplitude at each time, and used to cut the eustachian tube opening segment in time series; a health index analysis module configured to divide an approaching segment and a flat segment in each eustachian tube opening segment based on consistency of changes of the ear canal pressure and the external ear canal pressure; analyze a change correlation feature between the external ear canal pressure and the tympanic membrane vibration after fusing a local change feature of the external ear canal pressure and the eustachian tube opening amplitude in the approaching segment; and combine the change correlation feature with a length difference between the approaching segment and the flat segment and a difference feature of the external ear canal pressure and the tympanic membrane vibration in the flat segment to obtain a health index of each eustachian tube opening segment; a monitoring and early warning module configured to monitor and early warn the eustachian tube function of the monitoring subject based on a change trend and a numerical feature of the health index of all eustachian tube opening segments.

2. The eustachian tube dysfunction dynamic monitoring and early warning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for obtaining the eustachian tube opening amplitude comprises: at each time, analyzing numerical characteristics of the tympanic membrane vibration and the pharyngeal vibration to determine a eustachian tube action feature value corresponding to each time; determining a eustachian tube sound measurement intensity at each time according to the external ear canal decibel and the external decibel at each time, wherein the eustachian tube sound measurement intensity is positively correlated with the external ear canal decibel, and the eustachian tube sound measurement intensity is negatively correlated with the external decibel; taking a normalized value of a product of the eustachian tube action feature value and the eustachian tube sound measurement intensity at each time as the eustachian tube opening amplitude at each time.

3. The eustachian tube dysfunction dynamic monitoring and early warning system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method for obtaining the eustachian tube action feature value comprises: at each time, taking a normalized value of a difference between a tympanic membrane vibration value and a preset tympanic membrane vibration reference value as a tympanic membrane vibration degree value at each time; at each time, taking a normalized value of a ratio between a pharyngeal vibration value and a maximum pharyngeal vibration value at all times as a pharyngeal vibration performance value at each time; taking a normalized value of a product of the tympanic membrane vibration degree value and the pharyngeal vibration performance value at each time as the eustachian tube action feature value corresponding to each time.

4. The eustachian tube dysfunction dynamic monitoring and early warning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for obtaining the eustachian tube opening segment comprises: in time series, taking a time point at which the eustachian tube opening amplitude is greater than a preset opening amplitude threshold as a target time point, and taking target time points connected in time series as a eustachian tube opening segment to obtain all eustachian tube opening segments.

5. The eustachian tube dysfunction dynamic monitoring and early warning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for dividing the approaching segment and the flat segment in each eustachian tube opening segment based on consistency of changes of the ear canal pressure and the external ear canal pressure comprises: in time series corresponding to each eustachian tube opening segment, comparing the ear canal pressure and the external ear canal pressure at the same time in time sequence from front to back to take a time point at which the values are the same as a breakpoint, and taking a time segment before the breakpoint time series as the approaching segment and a time segment after the breakpoint time series as the flat segment.

6. The eustachian tube dysfunction dynamic monitoring and early warning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for obtaining the health index comprises: In the approaching section of each Eustachian tube opening section, the local change characteristics of the external ear canal air pressure are fused with the Eustachian tube opening amplitude at each time in the preset neighborhood corresponding to each time, to obtain the theoretical approaching degree of the tympanic cavity air pressure at each time; In the approaching section of each Eustachian tube opening section, the change correlation characteristics between the theoretical approaching degree of the tympanic cavity air pressure and the tympanic cavity air pressure are analyzed, to obtain the opening and closing accuracy of each Eustachian tube opening section; The ratio of the length of the plateau section to the length of the approaching section of each Eustachian tube opening section is taken as the response performance of each Eustachian tube opening section; In the plateau section of each Eustachian tube opening section, the difference characteristics of the external ear canal air pressure and the tympanic cavity air pressure are compared to determine the plateau air pressure stability of the corresponding Eustachian tube opening section; The product of the response performance, the opening and closing accuracy and the plateau air pressure stability of each Eustachian tube opening section is multiplied, and the normalized value of the obtained product is taken as the health index of each Eustachian tube opening section.

7. The eustachian tube dysfunction dynamic monitoring and early warning system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method for obtaining the theoretical approaching degree of the tympanic cavity air pressure comprises: In the approaching section of each Eustachian tube opening section, the least square method is used to perform linear fitting on all external ear canal air pressure values in the preset neighborhood corresponding to each time, to obtain the slope value of the fitted straight line and perform normalization processing, as the rising performance value, and the product of the normalized value of the rising performance value corresponding to each time and the Eustachian tube opening amplitude is taken as the theoretical approaching degree of the tympanic cavity air pressure at each time.

8. The eustachian tube dysfunction dynamic monitoring and early warning system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method for obtaining the opening and closing accuracy comprises: In the tympanic cavity air pressure time series data corresponding to the approaching section of each Eustachian tube opening section, the slope value corresponding to each time is obtained and normalized, as the rising degree value corresponding to each time; The Pearson correlation coefficient between the theoretical approaching degree of the tympanic cavity air pressure and the rising degree value at all times in the approaching section of each Eustachian tube opening section is normalized, as the opening and closing accuracy corresponding to each Eustachian tube opening section.

9. The eustachian tube dysfunction dynamic monitoring and early warning system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method for obtaining the plateau air pressure stability comprises: In the plateau section of each Eustachian tube opening section, the absolute value of the difference between the external ear canal air pressure and the tympanic cavity air pressure at each time is negatively correlated and mapped, as the air pressure stability factor at each time, and the normalized value of the mean value of the air pressure stability factors at all times is taken as the plateau air pressure stability corresponding to each Eustachian tube opening section.

10. The eustachian tube dysfunction dynamic monitoring and early warning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the change trend and numerical characteristics of the health indexes of all Eustachian tube opening sections, the Eustachian tube function of the monitoring object is monitored and warned, comprising: The health indexes of all Eustachian tube opening sections are arranged according to the time sequence of the Eustachian tube opening section to obtain a sorted sequence, the least square method is used to perform linear fitting on the health indexes in the sorted sequence, and the negatively correlated and mapped value of the slope value of the fitted straight line is taken as the first warning factor; The mean value of the health indexes of all Eustachian tube opening sections is negatively correlated and mapped, as the second warning factor; The product of the first warning factor and the second warning factor is normalized, as the Eustachian tube warning score of the monitoring object; When the Eustachian tube early warning score is greater than or equal to a preset first early warning threshold, first early warning is needed; when the Eustachian tube early warning score is less than the preset first early warning threshold and greater than or equal to a preset second early warning threshold, second early warning is needed; when the Eustachian tube early warning score is less than the preset second early warning threshold, early warning is not needed; wherein the severity of the first early warning is greater than the severity of the second early warning.

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