US 12,661,033 B2 · System for in vivo measurements of tympanic membrane vibration

Abstract

A system for noninvasive in vivo functional imaging of the human ear and measurement of nanometer scale motion of the tympanic membrane under various acoustic excitations, and identification of vibration patterns that vary between human subjects in response to sound. By combining spectrally encoded imaging with phase-sensitive spectral-domain interferometry, high-resolution imaging of the membrane surface is obtained within a fraction of a second, through a handheld imaging probe. The detailed physiological data obtained allows measuring a wide range of clinically relevant parameters for patient diagnosis, and provides a new tool for studying middle and inner ear physiology. Use of a line measurement technique, without mechanically scanning the probe beam, enables characteristics of the membrane vibration to be measured, in a time scale of tenths of a second, thereby reducing the possibility of inaccuracy because of movements of the hand-held instrument.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A system for determining the vibrational characteristics of a single line across a tympanic membrane of a subject, the system comprising:

a light source adapted to input into the system, a beam of the light having a range of wavelengths;
a diffracting element configured to spectrally disperse the beam of light along the single line;
a lens system configured to focus the single line of spectrally dispersed light through the auditory canal of a subject, such that it impinges on the tympanic membrane of the subject;
a control system adapted to determine from a spectrometric analysis of light resulting from the interference of the spectrally dispersed light reflected from the tympanic membrane with a reference beam, the vibrational amplitude of motion of the tympanic membrane as a function of position along the single line,
wherein the spectral dispersion of the beam of light along the single line enables the system to provide the vibrational characteristics of the single line across the tympanic membrane over a range of acoustic excitation frequencies, in a time sufficiently short that the accuracy of the measurement of the tympanic membrane vibrational motion is unaffected by in vivo environmental motions.

2 more elements

A method of reducing the time required to determine the vibrational characteristics of a single line across a tympanic membrane of a subject, the method comprising:

applying an acoustic excitation to the ear of the subject from a sound source;
inputting a beam of the light having a range of wavelengths into the ear of the subject;
spectrally dispersing the beam of light using a diffracting element, such that it forms the single line across the tympanic membrane;
focusing the single line of spectrally dispersed light with a lens system through the auditory canal of the subject, such that it impinges on the tympanic membrane of the subject;
and
determining from a spectrometric analysis of light resulting from the interference of the spectrally dispersed light reflected from the tympanic membrane with a reference beam, the vibrational amplitude and relative phase of motion of the tympanic membrane as a function of position along the single line,
wherein the spectral dispersion of the beam of light along the single line enables a reduction of the time taken for a measurement of vibrational characteristics of any point along the single line on the tympanic membrane over a range of acoustic excitation frequencies, such that the measurement of the tympanic membrane vibrational motion over the range of acoustic excitation frequencies, can be performed within a time such that the measurement is less affected by in vivo motion artifacts.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System for in vivo measurements of tympanic membrane vibration

Life of this patent

System for in vivo measurements of tympanic membrane vibration

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21