Patent ID: 6217613
Filing Date: 2001-04-17
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A prosthetic eustachian tube replacing one incapable of fully ventilating a middle ear impaired by disease or malformation, or to ventiltate a middle ear prosthesis, said eustachian tube replacement prosthesis comprising an accessible outer part and a permanently sealed inner part, the outer part being adapted to be anchored in a bone so as to be accessible from outside and partly covered by skin, a filter seat in said accessible outer part, an interchangeable filter means in said filter seat to protect said permanently sealed inner part from water and dirt, said permanently sealed inner part being in the form of a hermetically closed housing adapted for implantation, said housing being divided into two chambers, an air-permeable, but germ-tight means separating the two chambers into a first and second chamber, permitting air flow from the first chamber to the second chamber while restricting the penetration of bacteria and microbes into the second chamber, tube means connecting the accessible outer part and the first chamber of the permanently sealed inner part to permit air flow therebetween, and tube means connecting the second chamber of the permanently sealed inner part with the middle ear to permit air to ventilate said middle ear.