Methods and systems for observation of tympanic function

摘要

Methods and systems for endoscopic observation of tympanic function.

主权项

1. A method for observation of two dimensional deformation and two dimensional shape of an inner ear membrane, the method comprising the steps of:
exciting the inner ear with a predetermined acoustic input; the predetermined acoustic input provided by a sound generator; detecting a response to inner ear excitation by the predetermined acoustic input using a microphone; providing an incident light into inner ear, while the inner ear is responding to the inner ear excitation; the incident light provide by a light source; receiving a portion of the incident light, the portion being reflected or scattered due to the inner ear excitation; obtaining an interference pattern from the received portion of the incident light and a reference lightbeam; the reference lightbeam provided by a reference source; the received portion of the incident light and a reference lightbeam being received by an image detecting component; and analyzing the interference pattern to determine spatial and temporal information related to inner ear function; the spatial and temporal information comprising the two dimensional deformation and two dimensional shape of the inner ear membrane; the interference pattern being generated by a processing component and computer usable media having computer readable code embodied therein, which, when executed by the processing component, causes the processing component to analyze the interference pattern;
wherein the step of obtaining an interference pattern further comprises the steps of:a) varying, by controllable deflection, a length of a path of the reference lightbeam by a predetermined fraction of a wavelength;b) obtaining an intensity distribution corresponding to an interference pattern between the received portion of the incident light and the reference lightbeam after traversing said length of said path; andc) repeating steps a) and b) for a number of predetermined fractions of the wavelength; thereby obtaining a plurality of intensity distributions in order to obtain a predetermined function characteristic of the inner ear.