An apparatus for controlled perforation and aspiration of the inner ear.

An apparatus comprises a shaft, an expandable dilator, and at least one ventilation pathway. The shaft defines a longitudinal axis and comprises a distal and proximal ends with at least one shaft lumen. The expandable dilator comprises body with its own proximal and distal ends. The body is configured to transition between a contracted state and an expanded state. The body is configured to dilate a Eustachian tube of a patient in the expanded state. The at least one ventilation pathway is configured to provide ventilation from the distal end of the body to the proximal end of the body when the body is in the expanded state. In some examples, the ventilation pathway comprises a set of transversely oriented vent openings formed through the shaft. In some other examples, the ventilation pathway comprises a space defined between one or more radially outwardly protruding features of the expandable dilator.

A bio-absorbable implant is configured to bear radially outwardly against a Eustachian tube of a patient. The implant includes a proximal portion and a distal portion. The proximal portion includes an array of dilating bodies and a tether assembly. The dilating bodies are formed of a bio-absorbable material and are dimensioned to bear radially outwardly against the Eustachian tube of the patient. The tether assembly connects adjacent dilating bodies of the array of dilating bodies. The tether assembly is configured to allow restricted movement of the array of dilating bodies to thereby change the longitudinal profile of the proximal portion. The distal portion includes an anchor assembly that is configured to secure the bio-absorbable implant in the Eustachian tube of the patient.

Systems and methods can be employed for trans-tympanic membrane access to the middle ear for delivery of a therapeutic agent, for example, to the round window niche adjacent to the cochlea under direct visualization. The systems and methods can also be used to improve accessibility and visualization for various otological surgical procedures, such as, but not limited to, cholesteatoma removal, tympanic membrane repair and ossicular chain repair.

The present invention relates generally to a methods and apparatuses for treating ear pain and clearing excess fluid from Eustachian tubes.

Compositions and methods are provided for the generation or treatment of chronic tympanic membrane perforation by modulation of HB-EGF activity.

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for a myringotomy tube including a tube body having a first end and a second end. The tube body may comprise a shaft operably connecting the first end and the second end. The first end may comprise a first visual element. The second end may comprise a second visual element. The first visual element may be different than the second visual element. The myringotomy tube may be a single piece. The myringotomy tube may be multiple pieces.

A method of treating a patulous Eustachian tube includes forming a first pocket in a wall of a nasopharynx region proximate to a pharyngeal ostium, inserting a resiliently biased implant within the first pocket, and allowing the resiliently biased implant to expand within the first pocket to thereby urge the Eustachian tube towards a closed state. The wire implant may include a resilient stent or other resilient wire structure. In some versions, a deployment device having a balloon is used to deploy a malleable implant. This deployment device has a malleable implant disposed around the balloon, which is disposed around a guide catheter. The balloon is inflated and expands the malleable implant. The malleable implant retains the expanded shape and urges the Eustachian tube toward a closed state.

A tympanoplatic patch applicator comprising: a handle disposed with a deployment control; a deployment stem comprising multiple nested sleeves connected to the handle; a patch configured to be affixed to the distal end of the deployment stem via an actuation filament embedded in the deployment stem; and a filament-based deployment system controllable by the deployment control, wherein the deployment stem is configured to position the patch at the internal side of a perforated tympanic membrane in the middle ear by introducing the patch into the ear canal and penetrating the perforated tympanic membrane with the distal end of the deployment stem, and wherein the filament-based deployment system is configured to release the patch from the distal end of the deployment stem, thereby deploying the patch on the internal side of the perforated tympanic membrane.

The present disclosure is drawn to antimicrobial implantable medical devices, and can include an implantable medical device, and an antimicrobial metal applied to an exterior surface of at least a portion of the implantable medical that is positionable within a body tissue or traverses the body tissue when surgically placed (using surgical instruments beyond merely a needle or catheter port) for implantation.