SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DELIVERING BONE CONDUCTION STIMULI TO AND FOR MEASURING GRAVITATION RECEPTOR FUNCTIONS OF THE INNER EAR

摘要

Disclosed herein are apparatus and methods for delivering bone conduction stimuli for measuring the gravitation receptor functions of the inner ear. In some embodiments, a system may include (i) an impactor operatively linked to a guide disposed within a housing and (ii) an electrically driven actuator enclosed within the housing. The electrically driven actuator may be configured to cause the impactor to (i) travel to a striking point to deliver a mechanical bone conduction stimulus for transmission to a skull bone and (ii) controllably decelerate prior to the instance of stimuli delivery. The system may also include an oculometric response monitoring system including a video camera for capturing video of motion of one or more eyes of the patient.

主权项

1. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions thereon that, in response to execution by one or more processing devices of a computing system, cause the computing system to:
provide control signals to an apparatus to cause the apparatus to deliver one or more mechanical stimuli for transmission to a skull bone, wherein the apparatus includes: a housing having a striking end; an impactor disposed proximal to the striking end, the impactor operatively linked to a guide disposed within the housing, the impactor configured to travel from a starting point and a striking point spaced a predetermined distance away from the starting point, wherein the striking point is disposed between the starting point and a point of maximal extension of the impactor; and an electrically driven actuator system, at least partially enclosed within the housing, the electrically driven actuator system configured to cause the impactor to travel from the starting point to the striking point, thereby delivering a mechanical stimulus for transmission to a skull bone of a patient; wherein the electrically driven actuator system is configured to controllably decelerate the impactor prior to the impactor reaching the striking point.