An ear ailment diagnostic device and method in accordance with the present disclosure generally comprises a pair of earpieces, which both further comprise a light source, a magnification lens, an air conduction channel and a miniature camera. The earpieces may optionally comprise a thermometer and/or tympanometer. Each earpiece is coupled to an air conduction tube, an insufflator and an electrical wiring/data tube which is coupled to a computer. The insufflator may be manually, electronically, or battery powered. In the preferred embodiment the computer comprises a smart phone with data processing capability and wireless communication capability. Any data sent from the device can then be interpreted and diagnosed in a remote location so that an accurate treatment is prescribed.

A method and apparatus is disclosed that performs a measurement of the acoustic reflex. In contrast to prior art, more than one probe tone is used simultaneously to detect the acoustic reflex and separate the reflex response from artifacts. In a preferred configuration, at least one probe tone frequency is selected to be higher than the middle ear resonance frequency.

A new wideband acoustic immittance measurement apparatus is provided for determination of wideband acoustic immittance in the ear of the human, the apparatus comprising an ear probe for insertion in an ear canal of the human and having an acoustic output port for emission of sound into the ear canal of the human, and an acoustic input port for reception of sound from the ear canal of the human, and a loudspeaker that is arranged for acoustical connection with the acoustic output port of the ear probe for emission of the sound, and a microphone that is arranged for acoustical connection with the acoustic input port of the ear probe for generation of an audio signal as a function of sound received at the acoustic input port, and a processor that is adapted for controlling the loudspeaker to emit sound spanning a frequency range, and receiving the audio signal of the microphone, determining a complex acoustic admittance Y(f)=G(f)+jB(f) as a function of frequency f based on the emitted sound and the received audio signal, and identifying at least one middle ear resonance based on both the real and imaginary part of the determined acoustic admittance as a function of frequency f.

A method of conducting an otoacoustic emission test includes emitting, by a signal generator, a stimulus tone that is to be received by a user, where the stimulus tone comprises a swept level stimuli. The method also includes recording, in a memory of a computing device, otoacoustic emissions generated by an inner ear of the user, where the otoacoustic emissions are in response to the stimulus tone. The method further includes determining, by a processor of the computing device, one or more health characteristics of the inner ear of the user based at least in part on the recorded otoacoustic emissions.

An audiologic test apparatus includes: a processing unit; a tone generator connected to the processing unit; and a probe interface for connecting the audiologic test apparatus to a test probe; the tone generator configured to provide a first electrical signal representative of a first signal with a first primary frequency component at a first primary frequency; wherein the processing unit is configured to: obtain a first response signal, determine if a first insertion criterion is satisfied, the first insertion criterion based on the first signal and the first response signal, and generate a signal to initiate an audiologic test if at least the first insertion criterion is satisfied; the tone generator configured to provide a second electrical signal representative of a second signal with a second primary frequency component at a second primary frequency during the audiologic test, the first primary frequency being lower than the second primary frequency.

The system of the preferred embodiments is an ear treatment device including: an electrical power supply; an electric heater coupled in electronic communication to the electrical power supply; a spray nozzle coupled to a fluid passageway; a fluid reservoir coupled to the opposite end of the fluid passageway from the spray nozzle; at least one of I) a pump, II) an ultrasonic mist generator, and III) a vapor generator designed to cause the fluid from the reservoir to flow through the fluid passageway and out of the spray nozzle; wherein the electric heater is adapted to heat the fluid in at least one of A) the reservoir, B) the fluid passageway, and C) the spray nozzle; wherein the nozzle is adapted to spray the fluid into the ear canal of a user. Preferably the ear treatment device of the preferred embodiments is designed to treat earaches in a user, and possibly to assist in the promotion of drainage of fluid from a user's middle ear and in some cases to treat ear infections. The system of the preferred embodiments may, however, be used for any suitable purpose.

A hearing screening system for testing hearing abilities of a patient includes an otoacoustic emission (OAE) module operable to perform OAE tests, a tympanometry (tymp) module operable to perform tymp tests, and at least one probe in communication with at least one of the OAE and tymp modules. The probe includes a probe tip that is configured to be positioned within an ear canal of a patient.

Acoustic immittance and other characteristics of ears may be determined by measuring eardrum displacements resulting from application of pressure to the eardrum. For example, optical coherence tomography may be applied to monitor eardrum displacements responsive to a sound. The pressure corresponding to the sound is measured by a suitable instrument such as a microphone. The measured displacements and pressures may be processed to obtain a measure of immitance.

A device can be used to diagnose inner ear barotrauma, and train users how to properly equalize, preventing future inner ear barotrauma. It may also be used as a method of predicting near term equalization ability, thus predicting probable success in the user's ability to tolerate rapid pressure changes, whether they be caused by air travel, mountain driving, skin and scuba diving, or other causes of rapid barometric changes.

Apparatus and method for determining the immiittance of a middle ear for clinical-audiometric investigations in a wide range of frequencies at ambient pressure, based on MEMS microphone technology and on measuring the acoustic pressure wave and the corresponding acoustic velocity wave by means of a pressure-pressure probe.