Selecting an earpiece based on dynamic data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9448061-B2
Application number	US-201313746942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2013
Priority date	Jul 24, 2008
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

The attenuation and other optical properties of a medium are exploited to measure a thickness of the medium between a sensor and a target surface. Disclosed herein are various mediums, arrangements of hardware, and processing techniques that can be used to capture these thickness measurements and obtain dynamic three-dimensional images of the target surface in a variety of imaging contexts. This includes general techniques for imaging interior/concave surfaces as well as exterior/convex surfaces, as well as specific adaptations of these techniques to imaging ear canals, human dentition, and so forth.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product comprising computer executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:
accessing a library of earpieces, the library including three-dimensional shape data for a plurality of preexisting earpiece types;
obtaining dynamic data from an ear canal of a subject, the dynamic data including data from the ear canal characterizing three-dimensional changes in a shape of the ear canal related to at least one of (i) a compliance of the ear canal to changes in pressurization as measured using one or more images of a surface of an inflatable membrane inserted into the ear canal and inflated at two or more pressures, or (ii) a shape change of the ear canal in response to a musculoskeletal movement of a head of the subject that identifies a surface region of the ear canal where the shape change due to the musculoskeletal movement meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold; and
selecting one of the plurality of preexisting earpiece types from the library that provides a best fit to the ear canal based on the dynamic data, thereby providing a selected type.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising code that performs the step of obtaining static data from the ear canal of the subject, the static data including a three-dimensional representation of a surface of the ear canal.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 further comprising code that performs the step of making an initial selection of one of the plurality of preexisting earpiece types from the library based upon the static data, and the step of evaluating a fit of the one of the plurality of preexisting earpiece types based on the dynamic data.

4. The computer program product of claim 2 further comprising code that performs the step of selecting a size for the selected type according to the static data.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the plurality of preexisting earpiece types include hearing aids.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the plurality of preexisting earpiece types include earbuds for audio players.

7. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the plurality of preexisting earpiece types include earpiece bodies for use with a personalized mold.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising code that performs the step of creating a digital design for the personalized mold shaped and sized for the ear canal of the subject.

9. A system comprising:
a database that stores a library of earpieces, the library including three-dimensional shape data for a plurality of preexisting earpiece types;
a three-dimensional imaging system adapted to obtain dynamic data from an ear canal of a subject, the dynamic data including data from the ear canal characterizing three-dimensional changes in a shape of the ear canal related to at least one of (i) a compliance of the ear canal to changes in pressurization as measured using one or more images of a surface of an inflatable membrane inserted into the ear canal and inflated at two or more pressures, or (ii) a shape change of the ear canal in response to a musculoskeletal movement of a head of the subject that identifies a surface region of the ear canal where the shape change due to the musculoskeletal movement meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold;
a display; and
a processor configured to select one of the plurality of preexisting earpiece types from the library based on the dynamic data, thereby providing a selected earpiece, and the processor further configured to present the selected earpiece on the display.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured to obtain static data for the ear canal of the subject from the three-dimensional imaging system, the static data including a three-dimensional representation of a surface of the ear canal.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to make an initial selection of one of the plurality of preexisting earpiece types from the library based upon the static data, and to evaluate a fit of the one of the plurality of preexisting earpiece types based on the dynamic data.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to select a size for the selected type according to the static data.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of preexisting earpiece types include hearing aids.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of preexisting earpiece types include earbuds for audio players.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of preexisting earpiece types include earpiece bodies for use with a personalized mold.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured to create a digital design for the personalized mold shaped and sized for the ear canal of the subject.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Hart Douglas P
• Frigerio Federico
• Johnston Douglas M
• Menon Manas C
• Vlasic Daniel

Classifications

• G01B11/24

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title

• A61B5/12

  Audiometering · CPC title

• A61B5/0082

  adapted for particular medical purposes · CPC title

• G01N21/6456

  Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging · CPC title

• A61B5/0088

  for oral or dental tissue · CPC title