Back to results
US 12,733,814 B2Granted
Infrared otoscope for characterization of effusion
AssigneeOtoNexus Medical Technologies, Inc.
InventorsMark A. Moehring, George A. Gates, Daniel Kreindler, Jay A. Chesavage
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An otoscope uses differential reflected response of optical energy at an absorption range and an adjacent wavelength range to determine the presence of water (where the wavelengths are water absorption wavelength and adjacent non-absorption excitation wavelengths). In another example of the invention, the otoscope utilizes OCT in combination with absorption and non-absorption range for bacteria and water.
Claims32
A method for diagnosing otitis media of a patient, the method comprising:
- (a) directing a first optical energy along a measurement path, wherein the measurement path crosses a tympanic membrane and the first optical energy interacts with one or more of the tympanic membrane or a fluid adjacent the tympanic membrane;
- (b) directing a second optical energy along a reference path;
- (c) combining the first optical energy and the second optical energy at a detector after the first optical energy has interacted with the one or more of the tympanic membrane or the fluid adjacent the tympanic membrane and the first and second optical energies have traversed the measurement and reference paths, respectively, the combined first and second optical energies generating a detector response at the detector;
- (d) comparing the detector response with a first contents of a template memory corresponding to an effusion fluid with a bacterial effusion, and comparing the detector response with a second contents of the template memory corresponding to the effusion fluid with a viral effusion, wherein the template memory stores one or more characteristics for a type of the effusion fluid;
- and
- (e) characterizing the type of the effusion fluid, wherein the characterizing comprises distinguishing the type of the effusion fluid between the effusion fluid with the bacterial effusion and the effusion fluid with the viral effusion based on the one or more characteristics.
3 more elements
A system for diagnosing otitis media of a patient, the system comprising:
- an interferometer configured to direct light energy along a reference path and a measurement path, wherein the measurement path comprises a tympanic membrane;
- and
- a controller;
- and
- a memory comprising a template memory storing one or more characteristics for a type of an effusion fluid, and wherein the memory is coupled to the controller and stores instructions for the controller to:
- receive a detector signal from the interferometer,
- compare the detector signal with a first contents of the template memory corresponding to the effusion fluid with a bacterial effusion, and compare the detector signal with a second contents of the template memory corresponding to the effusion fluid with a viral effusion, and
- characterize the type of the effusion fluid, wherein the characterizing comprises distinguishing the type of the effusion fluid between the effusion fluid with the bacterial effusion and the effusion fluid with the viral effusion based on the one or more characteristics.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.