Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Assessment Through Tympanic Cavity Air Exchange Sensor
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (ETD) is an ailment many people suffer, yet the exact cause of the problem is a subject for research. A tympanic cavity air exchange sensor is designed and used for monitoring the air exchange during operation of the Eustachian
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Introduction
Tympanic cavity (middle ear) is an important part of hearing mechanism which houses a series of tiny bones called Malleus, Incus and Stapes transferring vibrations from Tympanic membrane to inner ear cochleae through Oval window where hearing sensors are located. Tympanic cavity is a completely enclosed cavity which is located inside a bony structure. The only external connection of the tympanic cavity is through the Eustachian tube (Auditory tube) which equalizes pressure inside the tympanic cavity (TC) with outside pressure. Fig. 1 shows the anatomy and the parts of the Tympanic cavity which is also known as the Middle Ear [1]. Eustachian tube is not a simple “tube” connecting TC (Tympanic Cavity) to outside environment, but a complicated tubular valve activated by a set of paratubal muscles that momentarily open and close to equalize the pressure inside the TC. The momentary opening nature of the Eustachian tube (ET) is necessary to prevent bacteria and external debris to enter the sterile environment of TC [2, 3]. Keeping Eusta© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017 A. Badnjevic (ed.), CMBEBIH 2017, IFMBE Proceedings 62, DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-4166-2_15
chian tube “open” all the time inevitably provide an open path to bacteria which may grow inside the sterile cavity. Having Eustachian tube open all the time is actually a disease condition called “Patulous Eustachian Dysfunction” and not desired at all. Eustachian tube may appear to be a simple tube of few centimeters long, but a dysfunctional ET causes serious problems which affect the quality of life of the patients. Inability to equalize the pressure inside TC means patients with a dysfunctional ET have difficulty travelling by airplane, or do so while suffering excruciating pain during landing. Those with dysfunctional ET also cannot dive in the water and patients suffer gradual hearing loss. Current medical technology is unable to find a long term solution for the ET dysfunction problem. The only mainstream surgical help provided to ET dysfunction patients is the placement of a small grommet on the tympanic membrane for equalizing pressure inside TC with outside pressure. This procedure is known as “Tympanostomy” and performed frequently in younger children who suffer from middle ear infections. The problem is mostly temporary for younger patients and they recover without any long lasting ill effects. But unfortunately the problem is not so temporary for chronic adult ET dysfunction sufferers [4]. Tympanostomy is not a permanent solution for chronic patients since the immune system of the body rejects and expels the grommet in about six months. The ET dysfunction problem is known as “Eustachian Tube Dysfunction” problem in medical terminology. According to statistics, 15% percent of the adult population has hearing problems and almost 1% of the whole human population suffers due to ET related problems [5]. The mechanism of operation of Eustachian tube has been studied by many researchers and believed to be well understood through elect
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