US834259A - Artificial ear-drum. - Google Patents

Description

No. 334.259. PATENTED new. so, 1906.

1 J. B. CAMPBELL.

ARTIFICIAL EAR DRUM.

APPLIGATION FILED DEO.7,1905- j W/TNEssEs -L l 6 INVENTOR W K BY M ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

ARTIFICIAL EAREDRUM.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30. 1906.

Application filed December '1. 1905. Serial No. 290.689.

To on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, New York city, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Artificial Ear-Drums, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to artificial ear-drums and has for its object to provide a device adapted to be readily placed in or removed from the auditory canal which will benefit defective hearing due to the loss of the natural ear-drum or impairment of the auditory nerve or auditory troubles of cat'arrhal origin. My device reduces to a minimum the possibility of irritating the delicate auditory canal. It is self-ventilating vand causes a gentle stimulation of the vitality of the inner ear and the passage where it is placed. It concentrates the sound-vibrations at the most important point. Though made of delicately resilient material, it is so constructed as to provide rigidity and effective strength.

Figure 1 of the drawings is perspective view of my device. enlarged side view Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view'of the modification, the front half being cut away to disclose the diaphragm.

Referringto Fig. 1 of the drawings, a is the an enlarged Fig. 2 is an artificial ear-drum, formed with the external sound-collector b of concave funnel shape. The inner portion of the ear-drum is an ovoidchamber resonator 0, having a rounded end. The junction between the chamber 0 and the sound-collector b is an annular constriction d, forming the outer part of said chamber 0 (when placed in the auditory passage) and the inner part of said sound-collector 1).

Small apertures are indicated by the letters e e. In Fig. 2 the chamber a terminates in a small protruding bulb f. In Fig. 3 a minute rod or wire g is shown secured at the inner end-of the device by cement h and carrying at its free end a small disk 'i.

My device is made of soft thin rubber or similar resilient material that it may conform to the auditory passage where it is adjacent thereto, retaining its shape, but not emphasizing the ressure. It is designed to be inserted within the auditory passage, so that itsapex may contact with the natural ear-drum. The outer funnel or cup 1) serves to collect the sound-Waves and transmit of a modification; and

them to the inner ovoid resonating chamber 0, where they are gathered and directed toward the apex or rounded end. The apertures e e serve to ventilate the auditory passage. The annular constriction (1, formed between the outer sound-collector b and the inner resonating chamber 0, strengthens the structure and tends to prevent collapse thereof, thus permitting a softer and thinner material to be used than would be possible without this strengthening feature. The annular constriction d facilitates the inser-- tion and withdrawal of the device, as it provides an annular ledge to be engaged with an instrument by which the device may be guided. The auditory and liable to be irritated by contact with a large foreign surface. The annular constriction (1 provides a material space between the artificial ear-drum and the walls of the auditory canal, reducing the area of contact between the artificial ear-drum and said walls and affording effective ventilation through the outer apertures e e.

.In the modification illustrated in Fig. 2 the small protruding bulb f where it joins the chamber c provides another annular exterior recess, again. lessening the area of the contact between the artificial ear-drum and the walls of the auditory canal. The small disk *5 may .be made of silver or other metal or of wood, rubber, or fibrous material. It is suspended on the minute support g, made of silver wire or some similar substance, anchored by means of a small quantity of cement at the apex of the resonating chamber c or at the apex of the small protruding bulb f, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The diaphragm or disk '5 serves to magnify the sound-vibrations at the apex of the device.

Where impaired hearing is due to the loss of the natural ear-drum, my artificial eardrum in the form shown in either Figs. 1 or 2 should be placed in contact with the ossicles. Experiment will show whether the form shown in Fig. 1 or that shown in Fig. 2 is most beneficial to the patient. Where the natural ear-drum is not lost, my device, either in the form shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2, as maybe determined by experiment, should be located so that the apex of the inner chamber concanal is very delicate tacts with the tympanum proper. 'To accentuate the sound waves or vibrations if the relief is not sufiicient, the small suspended diaphragm or diskt' maybe employed anchored at the apex of the inner chamber, whetherv it IIO be in the form shown in Fig. 1 or Fi 2. Instead of the cement used to secure t e wire g, carrying the diaphragm i, any similar substance may be employed, or the rubber at the apex may and hold the end of the rod g.

My device, while soft and resilient, has a marked rigidity due to the annular constriction (1 and to the annular groove where the bulb f joins the inner chamber, if such bulb is employed. The lessening so far as possible the area of contact with the walls of the audif tory canal serves to keep the passage cool and normal.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An artificial ear-drum of resilient material having an outer sound-collector ol funnel shape, an inner ovoid chamber, and an annular constriction or recess where the soundcollector joins the ovoid chamber.

2. In an artificial ear-drum, an outer sound-collector, an inner ovoid chamber, and an annular recess between the sound-collector and the ovoid chamber to strengthen the structure.

3. In an artificial ear-drum, an outer fun nel-shaped sound-collector, an interior ovoid chamber open to the sound-collector, and an annular recess between the sound-collector and the interior chamber.

4. In an artificial ear-drum, an outer sound-collector of lessening diameter toward the interior, and an inner chamber opening into the sound-collector, having its greatest diameter at its middle and narrowing gradually toward its apex and toward its orifice.

5. In an artificial ear-drum, an outer f n l sound-collector provided with an aperture or apertures, and an inner ovoid chamber provided with an aperture or apertures.

6. In an artificial ear-drum, an outer be slightly thickened to receive soundcollector, an inner chamber, and an annular recess intermediate between the sound-collector and the chamber, havin apertures removed from the tory passage.

7. In an artificial ear-drum, an outer sound-collector, and an inner ovoid chamber having a bulb at its apex.

8. In an artificial ear-drum, an outer sound-collector and an inner chamber having an annular recess at their juncture, and a bulb at the apex of the inner chamber form ing a slight annular recess where its wall joins the wall of the inner chamber.

9. An artificial ear-drum of resilient material having an apex at its inner end, and a disk or diaphragm secured on a support anchored at said apex.

10. An artificial ear-drum of resilient material having a vibratory disk or diaphragm supported at the apex of the eardrum.

11. An artificial ear-drum formed with an apex and having a disk or diaphragm suspended from the walls of the eardrum by a support anchored at the apex.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 5th day of December, A. D. 1905.

walls of the audi- JOHN B. CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

JosEPH A. STETSON, MINNIE KAUFFMAN.

Images