76 results about "External Ear Canals" patented technology

The present invention relates to a hearing aid system comprising a hearing implant and a method of powering a hearing implant, the system comprising an external ear canal module and an implant, wherein the signalling and / or powering of the ear implant is by way of a light signal being provided to the implant through the ear drum from, for example, the ear canal module.

A device and method for treating maladies, particularly of the external ear canal and eardrum, is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment the device comprises an earplug or plug and a delivery bulb that holds treatment fluid. A lumen extends through the earplug and connects the delivery bulb to an orifice located at the distal end of the earplug. A one-way valve is located along the lumen to allow treatment fluid to only flow from the delivery bulb to the orifice and not vice versa. The earplug forms a seal with the patient's external ear canal and, combined with the one-way valve, retains treatment fluid in the patient's external ear canal where it can perform its therapeutic function. In one embodiment, the invention includes a collection bag connected through the earplug to an orifice near the distal end of the earplug to collected waste treatment fluid. The therapeutic method comprises using a device, as disclosed herein, to deliver treatment fluids to the patient's external ear canal for irrigation, for the therapeutic benefit of the treatment fluids for the short and long term or to deliver treatment fluid to a patient's external ear canal where it can pass into the patient's middle ear through a tympanostomy tube placed in the patient's eardrum.

Disclosed is a hearing aid assembly wherein the hearing aid is comprised of an acoustic receiver, an acoustic transmitter, and a body, and an annular channel, wherein the acoustic receiver is designed to fit into a external acoustic meatus of an ear, the acoustic transmitter is designed to fit into a inner ear canal, and the generally cylindrical body is disposed between the receiver and the transmitter, the annular channel is disposed on the surface of the body such that it circumscribes the body's circumference. The annular channel is adapted to receive an annular ring which functions as an acoustic seal.

A soft-solid ear piece is formed to fit the typical human ear canal and will self form to fill the ear cavity by having an internal structure, endoskeleton, or bladder to expand to precisely fit the ear piece securely and comfortably in the ear canal. This self forming ear piece will enable ready-ware and custom molded hearing aids, hearing protectors, audio ear pieces, cell phone ear pieces and assistive listening devices to fit comfortably, securely, and free of acoustic feedback in the external ear canal. It creates an acoustic seal to optimally reduce peripheral leakage and intermodulation distortion delivering excellent acoustic performance while keeping environmental sounds blocked out.

The present invention relates to a digital hearing aid, which models the structures of external ear canals, sizes and shape characteristics of which differ between respective persons, obtains resonance gains generated due to the structural characteristics of the external ear canals, and performs digitization and signal processing to allow the resonance gains to be used as the gain factors of the digital hearing aid, and thus applies the gain factors to digital signal processing units. Further, the present invention proposes a gain obtainment unit capable of taking both resonance gains, generated due to the structural characteristics, and gains, obtained through a hearing test, into account, thus reducing the time required for gain fitting and possible errors, and optimizing the performance of the digital hearing aid for each individual.

The present invention is directed to a hearing aid which includes a lateral ear canal assembly and a medial ear canal assembly. In embodiments of the invention the medial ear canal assembly may include smart circuitry adapted to control parameters and outputs of the medial ear canal assembly. In embodiments of the invention various methods and circuitry are described, wherein the methods and circuitry are adapted to improve the performance and efficiency of the hearing aid.

This invention relates to a method of treating otitis externa, and in particular otitis externa of fungal etiology, using topical medication, including antifungal agents such as itraconazole and miconazole, and optionally also including a second antifungal agent, which is formulated for topical application to the external ear canal, preferably as an ear drop in liquid form.

An earpiece including an intra-auricular support, a projection element coupled thereto, and a flexible body disposed thereon and inside an external ear canal of an ear, and a moldable earpiece material moldable about the intra-auricular support to conform to the auricle of an ear and curable to provide a fixed configuration of the earpiece.

A hearing aid which achieves a comfortable feeling to use while preventing generation of howling includes a microphone for converting an environmental sound to an electric signal, a hearing aid processor for hearing aid processing of an output signal of the microphone, an earphone for converting an output signal of the hearing aid processor to a sound signal, an external ear canal microphone converting a sound within an external ear canal to an electric signal, and an adaptive filter for comparing an output signal of the external ear canal microphone and the output signal of the hearing aid processor to automatically adjust the output signal of the hearing aid processor in such a manner that the output signal of the external ear canal microphone approaches the output signal of the hearing aid processor. The output signal of the hearing aid processor functions as an input signal and a desired signal of the adaptive filter, and the output signal of the external ear canal microphone functions as a response signal of the adaptive filter.

An ear inspection device configured for being at least partially introduced into an external ear canal for determining an ear condition, such as temperature, in particular at the subject's eardrum, wherein the device comprises an infrared sensor unit configured for detecting infrared radiation from the ear, and an electronic imaging unit configured for capturing images based on radiation in the visible range from the ear, wherein the electronic imaging unit exhibits at least one optical axis arranged such that it can be radially offset within the ear canal, and wherein the infrared sensor unit exhibits a visual axis arranged such that it can be positioned centrically within the ear canal or radially offset within the same semicircle, especially the same quadrant, of the cross section of the ear canal.

A hearing aid which achieves a comfortable feeling to use while preventing generation of howling includes a microphone for converting an environmental sound to an electric signal, a hearing aid processor for hearing aid processing of an output signal of the microphone, an earphone for converting an output signal of the hearing aid processor to a sound signal, an external ear canal microphone converting a sound within an external ear canal to an electric signal, and an adaptive filter for comparing an output signal of the external ear canal microphone and the output signal of the hearing aid processor to automatically adjust the output signal of the hearing aid processor in such a manner that the output signal of the external ear canal microphone approaches the output signal of the hearing aid processor. The output signal of the hearing aid processor functions as an input signal and a desired signal of the adaptive filter, and the output signal of the external ear canal microphone functions as a response signal of the adaptive filter.

This invention is designed such that measurement can be performed only when a probe is sufficiently inserted into an external ear canal. A decision whether the probe is sufficiently inserted into the external ear canal or not is performed on the basis of a detected temperature.

An external ear canal pressure regulation device including a fluid flow generator and an earpiece having a first axial earpiece conduit fluidicly coupled to the fluid flow generator, whereby the earpiece has a compliant earpiece external surface configured to sealably engage an external ear canal as a barrier between an external ear canal pressure and an ambient pressure.

An external ear canal pressure regulation device including a fluid flow generator and an earpiece having a first axial earpiece conduit fluidicly coupled to the fluid flow generator, whereby the earpiece has a compliant earpiece external surface configured to sealably engage an external ear canal as a barrier between an external ear canal pressure and an ambient pressure.

A method for external ear canal pressure regulation to alleviate one or more symptoms associated with a disorder or treat one or more disorders, the method including providing a fluid transfer device which generates a fluid flow of a fluid through an earplug, the earplug having an earplug external surface configured to sealably engage an external ear canal wall as a barrier between an external ear canal pressure and an ambient pressure; sealably engaging the earplug of the fluid transfer device with the external ear canal wall as the barrier between the external ear canal pressure and the ambient pressure; and operating the fluid transfer device to generate the fluid flow of the fluid through the earplug to achieve an external ear canal pressure differential between the external ear canal pressure and the ambient pressure effective to alleviate a disorder symptom or treat a disorder.

The present invention relates to a hearing aid system comprising a hearing implant and a method of powering a hearing implant, the system comprising an external ear canal module and an implant, wherein the signalling and / or powering of the ear implant is by way of a light signal being provided to the implant through the ear drum from, for example, the ear canal module.

An external ear canal pressure regulation device including a fluid flow generator, an earpiece having an axial earpiece bore, and a valved conduit fluidicly coupled to the fluid flow generator and the axial earpiece bore, whereby the earpiece has a compliant earpiece external surface configured to sealably engage an external ear canal as a barrier between an external ear canal pressure and an ambient pressure.

The invention provides an ear irrigation device for injecting a fluid into an external ear canal extending between an external ear and a tympanic membrane. The external ear canal includes an outer portion extending inwardly from the external ear and including cerumen-producing glands and an inner portion between the tympanic membrane and the outer portion. The ear irrigation device has a longitudinally extending body including an inward end and an outward end. Also, the ear irrigation device includes an input duct extending from the outward end to the inward end and terminating in a nozzle. The nozzle is adapted to direct fluid out of the body both transversely and towards the external ear when the inward end is positioned proximate to the inner portion of the external ear canal.

A medicine for treating otopathy, such as tympanitis, otitis externa, otitis, etc, is prepared form baked alum, borneol and terramycin.

This invention is designed such that measurement can be performed only when a probe is sufficiently inserted into an external ear canal. A decision whether the probe is sufficiently inserted into the external ear canal or not is performed on the basis of a detected temperature.

A device for stimulating at least one cranial nerve and / or spinal nerve is described. The device includes a vibratory motor, and an earpiece, wherein the earpiece is molded substantially to fit within the external ear canal and contacting the concha of a subject's ear. A method of reducing migraine headache and trigeminal neuropathy pain is also described. The method includes positioning a vibratory earpiece within an ear of a subject, applying vibrational energy to at least a portion of the skin of at least one of the auditory canal, auricle and concha of the ear, thereby stimulating at least one sensory fiber of at least one of cranial nerve 5, cranial nerve 7, cranial nerve 9, cranial nerve 10, spinal nerve C2, and spinal nerve C3. A method to normalize breathing, normalize blood pressure, induce sleep, increase salivation, and improve vertigo, nausea, and visual dysfunction accompanying migraine is also described.

An atmospheric pressure adjustment apparatus is disclosed. The atmospheric pressure adjustment apparatus comprises: a speaker; a microphone; an earplug of which a main body is made of an elastic material so as to seal the external auditory meatus when the earplug is worn on the ear of a user, and which comprises an atmospheric pressure adjustment part penetrating the main body; and atmospheric pressure adjustment device for adjusting the fluid volume of the atmospheric pressure adjustment part; and a processor for outputting a sound through the speaker when the earplug is worn, measuring the air pressure difference between the middle ear internal atmospheric pressure and the external auditory meatus atmospheric pressure of the user on the basis of the strength of a received echo when the echo of the sound reflected from the eardrum of the user is received through the microphone, and adjusting the atmospheric pressure difference by moving the atmospheric pressure adjustment device according to the measured atmospheric pressure difference.

A holder capable of holding a comparatively large external load with the aid of the external ear canal or the external ear. Protrusions of which is inserted into a first curve of an external ear canal are provided at one end of a holding arm, and a hole capable of holding an external load is formed in the other end of the holding arm. A protrusion supporter provided with the protrusions is rotatably attached in a hole formed in one end of a holding arm, and one of the protrusions is inserted in the first curve of the external ear canal, enabling the other end of the holding arm to hold an external load. Further, the positions and angles of the protrusions are made arbitrarily adjustable to thereby provide the holder.

An earpiece including an intra-auricular support, a projection element coupled thereto, and a flexible body disposed thereon and inside an external ear canal of an ear, and a moldable earpiece material moldable about the intra-auricular support to conform to the auricle of an ear and curable to provide a fixed configuration of the earpiece.

A composition for topical application to the human external ear canal and nasal membranes for relief from symptoms of inflamation and infections and prophylaxis of sexually transmitted diseases the incoporates L-Ascorbic acid in a concentration of about 2% to about 25% wt / vol., within an acidic range or pH level of about 4.0 to 2.0 pH respectively, in an aqueous solution with a pharmaceutically acceptable liquid carrier. The liquid carrier in alternative exemplary embodiments is pure distilled water or normal 0.9% physiologic saline, pH adjusted in a pre determined composition for the desired therapeutic effect. The liquid carrier in alternative exemplary embodiments is pure distilled water or normal 0.9% physiologic saline, depending upon the preferred degree of absorption and bioavailability to the host tissues of the active ingredients in the novel invention. This may include sodium chloride as the preferred Sea Salt—which by analysis contains 99% sodium chloride and calcium, magnesium, sulphate, iron, and copper minerals. Additionally, the composition in alternative embodiment includes a synergistic antioxidant and further incorporates zinc gluconate in certain embodiments. The method for topical application of the composition includes drops, a rinse, cream, gel or saturated wick.

The invention relates to the technical field of medicine, and discloses an ear canal cleaning device for otorhinolaryngology nursing. The device comprises a column body, a handle, an annular ear digging rail and an adjusting rod I, wherein the annular ear digging rail is arranged on the adjusting rod I; the adjusting rod I internally sleeves an adjusting rod II; the adjusting rod II freely slidesleft and right in the adjusting rod I; the adjusting rod I is connected to an adjusting rod III through a pulley, so that the adjusting rod I can rotate along with the inner ring of the pulley; the adjusting rod III is provided with a gear, and is connected to the column body through a turntable with a circular gear; the turntable and the adjusting rod II are rotated to achieve the effects of moving the annular ear digging rail and rotating the annular ear digging rail; the gear adjustment is small in movement amplitude, is convenient, and reduces the damage to the inner ear canal; fans are arranged at the opening of the column body, and the upper and lower air ports are designed to incline towards the column body; and by utilizing different blowing directions of the upper and lower fans,the annular air flow which goes out upwards and returns downwards is achieved so as to clean the external ear canal better.

An ear inspection device configured for being at least partially introduced into an external ear canal for determining an ear condition, such as temperature, in particular at the subject's eardrum, wherein the device comprises an infrared sensor unit configured for detecting infrared radiation from the ear, and an electronic imaging unit configured for capturing images based on radiation in the visible range from the ear, wherein the electronic imaging unit exhibits at least one optical axis arranged such that it can be radially offset within the ear canal, and wherein the infrared sensor unit exhibits a visual axis arranged such that it can be positioned centrically within the ear canal or radially offset within the same semicircle, especially the same quadrant, of the cross section of the ear canal.

Otitis externa is a condition of the outer ear canal in mammalian animals, especially dogs and cats, marked by inflammation and infection of tissue, buildup of ear wax, and draining of ear exudate. Symptoms of infection are, among others, excessive cerumen, alopecia in the ear flap, crusts, and ear pruritis. Typical causes of otitis externa are fungi, bacteria, and mites. A medicating mixture in accordance with the invention, comprising cold-pressed citrus oil, deionized water, and, optionally, hydrolysates of milk proteins, when applied topically to an infected ear canal can produce significant reduction in symptoms. In a clinical study, 95% of an infected population of dogs were normalized without other or further treatment.

An ear thermometer has a main body and a probe projected from the main body. The ear thermometer has a casing, a sensor module and a tube. The casing has an opening formed in a front side thereof. The sensor module is installed inside the casing, and has a diameter of between 3.2 mm and 5.6 mm. The tube is installed between the casing and the sensor module for positioning the sensor module inside the casing. The diameter of the probe is reduced for insertion into an external ear canal of a human, and especially that of a baby, to measure true temperature.

A packaged kit for treating keratosis obturans includes a plurality of ear needles having different shaped absorbent applicators on distal ends of the needles, a vial of a single dose of an otologic formulation of mitomycin-C, and a diluent carrier syringe containing sterilized water. The component parts of the kit are used together to reconstitute the contents of the vial with the water in the diluent carrier syringe. A selected one of the plurality of ear needles is then communicated with the syringe. The syringe and needle are then used to inject the reconstituted drug into the absorbent pad at the end of the needle, and the absorbent pad containing the drug is used to apply the drug to the surface of the external ear canal.