Non-Invasive Cochlear Pressure Detection via Phase-Modulated Stimulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current non-invasive methods for measuring intralabyrinthine pressure, particularly in subjects with Menière's disease, are inadequate as they rely on otoacoustic emissions which are absent in hearing impairments, and existing technologies struggle to isolate and measure the intralabyrinthine pressure accurately without invasive techniques.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive method involving repetitive sound stimulation with tonal bursts of alternating phases to collect and isolate the cochlear microphonic potential (CMP) from the cochlea's electrical responses, eliminating artifacts and parasites to represent intralabyrinthine pressure, using sensors outside the cranial box without piercing the eardrum.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If invasive electrocochleography is used to measure cochlear electrical signals, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to eardrum piercing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses otoacoustic emissions as an intermediary signal that naturally propagates from the cochlea through the middle ear to the external ear canal. This mediator allows non-invasive measurement of cochlear function by capturing the cochlea's own acoustic response rather than directly measuring electrical signals, thereby eliminating the need for eardrum penetration while preserving measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electrical measurement system (electrodes requiring eardrum penetration) with an acoustic measurement system (microphone in the external ear canal). By substituting mechanical/acoustic signal detection for electrical signal detection, the method achieves non-invasive measurement of cochlear function through naturally emitted otoacoustic emissions
2Ease of operation
If otoacoustic emissions are used for non-invasive pressure measurement, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates in subjects with hearing impairments where emissions are absent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances the universality of the measurement method by combining multiple signal components (otoacoustic emissions, cochlear microphonic potential, summation potential, and compound action potential) into a single comprehensive diagnostic approach. This multi-functional signal analysis ensures reliable measurement across diverse subject populations including those with hearing impairments, where some signal components may be absent or reduced
3Measurement precision
If complex signal isolation techniques are applied to extract cochlear responses, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic tonal burst stimuli with alternating phases to elicit periodic cochlear responses. By using repetitive, phase-modulated stimulation, the system can isolate specific cochlear potentials (such as the cochlear microphonic potential) through phase-sensitive detection, achieving precise signal extraction with relatively simple processing that leverages the periodic nature of the stimulus-response relationship
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method allows for the faithful representation of sound propagation and accurate measurement of intralabyrinthine pressure, independent of hair cell activity, effectively detecting variations in intralabyrinthine pressure, even in subjects with hearing impairments, providing a rapid and reliable assessment of potential vertigo risks.
Implementation Method 1
The sounds transmitted by the bony chain of the ear cause the cilia of the hair cells to vibrate. These movements modify the characteristics of the medium in which the cells are located. In particular, the pressure in the cochlea is affected by the vibrations of the cilia. These pressure variations are converted by the organ of Corti into electrical impulses transmitted to the brain by the cochlear nerve.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a non-invasive method for detecting an electric parameter depending on the intralabyrinth pressure in a subject submitted to a repetitive sound stimulation having a predetermined time origin and frequency, by collecting outside the skull of the subject the electric signals emitted by the cochlea in response to said stimulation, wherein said method comprises the following steps: a) sending to the cochlea sound stimulations of the tone burst type with alternating phases; b) collecting the electric responses of the cochlea and the auditive nerve to said stimulations; c) isolating the component of a response corresponding to the average of the electric responses to a positive phase stimulation minus the average of the responses to a negative phase stimulation; d) removing from said isolated response the signals having a time origin identical to the time origin of the stimulation; and e) thus obtaining a cochlea microphonic potential (PMC) of the type representing the intralabyrinth pressure of the subject.