Abstract: An ultrasound signal processor uses an excitation generator to cause displacement of a tympanic membrane while a series of ultrasound pulses are applied to the tympanic membrane. Phase differences between a transmitted signal and received signal are examined to determine the movement of the tympanic membrane in response to the applied excitation. An examination of the phase response of the tympanic membrane provides a determination as to whether the fluid type behind the tympanic membrane is one of: no fluid, serum fluid, or purulent fluid.

Abstract: An ultrasound signal processor uses an excitation generator to cause displacement of a membrane or surface while a series of ultrasound pulses are applied to the membrane or surface. Phase differences between a transmitted signal and received signal are examined to determine the movement of the membrane or surface in response to the applied excitation. An examination of the phase response of the membrane or surface provides a determination as to whether the fluid type behind the membrane or surface is one of: no fluid, serum fluid, or purulent fluid.

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer may include: a plurality of capacitive ultrasound transducer elements; and a base having a largest dimension sized and shaped to be disposed with an external ear canal, wherein the plurality of capacitive ultrasound transducers is mounted on the base. Each capacitive ultrasound transducer element and the ultrasound transducer are specifically constructed to achieve select desired performance characteristics. The ultrasound transducer may have an angular beam spread through a gaseous medium of greater than 15 degrees and an attenuation loss through the gaseous medium of greater than 10 dB measured at a distance 12.5 mm to 25 mm along a primary transmission axis of the ultrasound transducer. The ultrasound transducer may be particularly useful for characterizing fluid behind an ear drum to diagnose otitis media.

Abstract: A device for measuring reflected ultrasound and optical signals may include: an optical source; an optical assembly comprising at least one lens, configured to focus reflected optical illumination from a target onto a detector; and an ultrasound transducer aligned to transmit and receive ultrasound radiation co-axially with the reflected optical illumination and wherein the ultrasound transducer at least partially obstructs a path of the reflected optical illumination. An obstruction may be distant from a focal spot of the optical assembly. The device for measuring reflected ultrasound and optical signals may be particularly useful for characterizing fluid behind an ear drum to diagnose otitis media.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for classifying a tympanic membrane by using a classifier. The classifier is a machine learning algorithm. A method for classifying a tympanic membrane includes steps of: receiving, from an interrogation system, one or more datasets relating to the tympanic membrane; determining a set of parameters from the one or more datasets, wherein at least one parameter of the set of parameters is related to a dynamic property or a static position of the tympanic membrane; and outputting a classification of the tympanic membrane based on a classifier model derived from the set of parameters. The classification comprises one or more of a state, a condition, or a mobility metric of the tympanic membrane.

Abstract: A device for measuring reflected ultrasound and optical signals may include: an optical source; an optical assembly comprising at least one lens, configured to focus reflected optical illumination from a target onto a detector; and an ultrasound transducer aligned to transmit and receive ultrasound radiation co-axially with the reflected optical illumination and wherein the ultrasound transducer at least partially obstructs a path of the reflected optical illumination. An obstruction may be distant from a focal spot of the optical assembly. The device for measuring reflected ultrasound and optical signals may be particularly useful for characterizing fluid behind an ear drum to diagnose otitis media.

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer may include: a plurality of capacitive ultrasound transducer elements; and a base having a largest dimension sized and shaped to be disposed with an external ear canal, wherein the plurality of capacitive ultrasound transducers is mounted on the base. Each capacitive ultrasound transducer element and the ultrasound transducer are specifically constructed to achieve select desired performance characteristics. The ultrasound transducer may have an angular beam spread through a gaseous medium of greater than 15 degrees and an attenuation loss through the gaseous medium of greater than 10 dB measured at a distance 12.5 mm to 25 mm along a primary transmission axis of the ultrasound transducer. The ultrasound transducer may be particularly useful for characterizing fluid behind an ear drum to diagnose otitis media.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a device for modeling properties of an ear. The device includes an artificial tympanic membrane and a housing coupled to the artificial tympanic membrane. The housing defines an interior portion coupled to an interior surface of the artificial tympanic membrane. The interior portion has an adjustable volume or an adjustable type of fluid and an adjustable gas pressure. Adjustment of the volume or type of fluid and the gas pressure changes a membrane movement to produce selected movement properties according to a mobility scale.

Abstract: An ultrasound signal processor uses an excitation generator to cause displacement of a membrane or surface while a series of ultrasound pulses are applied to the membrane or surface. Phase differences between a transmitted signal and received signal are examined to determine the movement of the membrane or surface in response to the applied excitation. An examination of the phase response of the membrane or surface provides a determination as to whether the fluid type behind the membrane or surface is one of: no fluid, serum fluid, or purulent fluid.

Abstract: A speculum operable to be disposed within an ear of a subject may include a housing. The housing may include a light conducting element. A transmitted optical illumination may be conducted by total internal reflection via the light conducting element. The housing may include a lumen. The housing may be configured to allow a reflected optical illumination to propagate through the lumen. The speculum may include one or more coupling portions which couple the transmitted optical illumination from a light source to the light conducting element. The one or more coupling portions may be shaped as a conic section.

Abstract: An ultrasound signal processor uses an excitation generator to cause displacement of a tympanic membrane while a series of ultrasound pulses are applied to the tympanic membrane. Phase differences between a transmitted signal and received signal are examined to determine the movement of the tympanic membrane in response to the applied excitation. An examination of the phase response of the tympanic membrane provides a determination as to whether the fluid type behind the tympanic membrane is one of: no fluid, serum fluid, or purulent fluid.

Abstract: An exemplary method for characterizing a quality of a membrane measurement may comprise receiving a reflected signal from a tympanic membrane in response to a pneumatic challenge; characterizing a quality of a seal in response to the reflected signal, wherein the quality of the seal is characterized based on a leak rate; and providing an indication that the leak rate is sufficiently small to continue with a measurement.

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer may include: a plurality of capacitive ultrasound transducer elements; and a base having a largest dimension sized and shaped to be disposed with an external ear canal, wherein the plurality of capacitive ultrasound transducers is mounted on the base. Each capacitive ultrasound transducer element and the ultrasound transducer are specifically constructed to achieve select desired performance characteristics. The ultrasound transducer may have an angular beam spread through a gaseous medium of greater than 15 degrees and an attenuation loss through the gaseous medium of greater than 10 dB measured at a distance 12.5 mm to 25 mm along a primary transmission axis of the ultrasound transducer. The ultrasound transducer may be particularly useful for characterizing fluid behind an ear drum to diagnose otitis media.

Abstract: A speculum of an otoscope may include a housing and a seal. The seal may include a surface sized and shaped to interface with an external auditory meatus. In some examples, the seal comprises one or more compressible members deformable to interface with the external auditory meatus. The seal may be configured to retain a volume of fluid within a lumen of the speculum in response to one or more of a negative pressure change or a positive pressure change.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a device for modeling properties of an ear. The device includes an artificial tympanic membrane and a housing coupled to the artificial tympanic membrane. The housing defines an interior portion coupled to an interior surface of the artificial tympanic membrane. The interior portion has an adjustable volume or an adjustable type of fluid and an adjustable gas pressure. Adjustment of the volume or type of fluid and the gas pressure changes a membrane movement to produce selected movement properties according to a mobility scale.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, devices, and methods to measure auditory signals from a subject to determine a state of a subject. The auditory signals measured may provide a tool to monitor the development of disease state(s) or abnormal physiologic conditions (e.g., wheezing, fluid accumulation, abnormal heart murmur or rhythm, etc).

Abstract: An acoustic otoscope generates volume change excitations of either a trapezoidal or sinusoidal waveforms which are coupled into a sealed ear canal using a speculum tip. The change in volume results in a pressure change, for which a pressure measurement is taken during the volume change excitation interval. In one example, a trapezoidal time-domain volume change is presented, and a pressure measurement waveform is stored, the pressure measurement waveform thereafter examined to find a change of slope point in time, after which the pressure measurement waveform is scaled to be equal to the volume change waveform at that same point in time, a difference between scaled pressure measurement and volume excitation is formed, and examined for peak value prior to the earlier determined change in slope point in time.

Abstract: An ultrasound signal processor uses an excitation generator to cause displacement of a membrane or surface while a series of ultrasound pulses are applied to the membrane or surface. Phase differences between a transmitted signal and received signal are examined to determine the movement of the membrane or surface in response to the applied excitation. An examination of the phase response of the membrane or surface provides a determination as to whether the fluid type behind the membrane or surface is one of: no fluid, serum fluid, or purulent fluid.

Abstract: An ultrasound signal processor uses an excitation generator to cause displacement of a tympanic membrane while a series of ultrasound pulses are applied to the tympanic membrane. Phase differences between a transmitted signal and received signal are examined to determine the movement of the tympanic membrane in response to the applied excitation. An examination of the phase response of the tympanic membrane provides a determination as to whether the fluid type behind the tympanic membrane is one of: no fluid, serum fluid, or purulent fluid.

Abstract: An OCT apparatus and method for characterization of a fluid adjacent to a tympanic membrane has a low coherence source which is coupled to a splitter which has a measurement path and a reference path. The reference path is temporally modulated for length, and the combined signals from the reference path and the measurement path are applied to a detector. The detector examines the width of the response and the time variation when an optional excitation source is applied to the tympanic membrane, the width of the response and the time variation forming a metric indicating the viscosity of a fluid adjacent to the tympanic membrane being measured.