Patent Publication Number: US-2007100300-A1

Title: Ear fluid removal device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      Not Applicable  
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
      Not Applicable  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of Invention  
      This invention pertains to a device for removing fluid accumulated in a person&#39;s ear canal. More particularly, this invention pertains to a device that is operated by a person, who provides suction power, to control the removal of fluid that has entered the ear canal, such as by swimming or bathing.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      The ear canal is prone to collection of water after swimming, diving, surfing, and the like. Accumulation of water within the ear and development of infections resulting from ear-water accumulation are common. Non-mechanical hand held curettes have been the traditional method of wax removal by physicians. Fluid removal is typically performed in a physician&#39;s office by using large electrical powered vacuum pumps connected to tubing and to narrow gauge tips under direct visual observation to evacuate fluid and debris. Cotton tipped swabs are often used inappropriately in the ear canal to remove wax and fluid, however, such use can cause trauma to the tissues of the ear as well as worsen the impaction of fluid and debris.  
      Numerous devices have been proposed and implemented for extracting fluids, particulates, and other matter from different orifices and tissues of human and animal bodies. Among them, U. S. Pat. No. 69,110, issued to Morris Mattson on Sep. 24, 1867, discloses a flexible tube interposed between an elastic bulb and a discharge pipe. The elastic bulb provides suction to the discharge pipe in order to take up and discharge fluids.  
      U. S. Pat. No. 4,334,538, issued to Steven K. Juhn on Jun. 15, 1982, discloses an aspirator for manually collecting liquid samples. The &#39;538 device comprises a handle connected to a vacuum source. The handle has a sample collection vial fitting into a cavity in the handle with a finger control vent in the cavity. A tube leads into the sample collection vial and functions as the probe for the sample to be collected.  
      U. S. Pat. No. 5,062,835, issued to Carlos A. Maitz on Nov. 5, 1991, discloses an aspirator device for removing body fluids, comprising a fluid collector with an air-type chamber attached to a flexible tube to be inserted in a body cavity. The fluid collector is connected to a manually operable vacuum means or squeeze bulb. The manually operable vacuum means is operatively associated with first and second one-way valves establishing a vacuum for removing and depositing bodily fluids in the fluid collector.  
      U. S. Pat. No. 5,665,094, issued to Robert Arlin Goldenberg on Sep. 9, 1997, discloses an apparatus for collecting a middle ear fluid specimen through the ear drum of a patient. The &#39;094 device utilizes a hollow needle mountable on a bulb. The bulb is operatively adapted to draw a specimen of middle ear fluid into the hollow needle when the needle is mounted on the bulb.  
      U. S. Pat. No. 6,059,803, issued to Daniel A. Spilman on May 9, 2000, discloses a portable hand held ear vacuum device for removing fluid and debris from an ear canal. The &#39;803 device includes a handle with a motor linked to a fan and a control switch. A collection chamber for collecting fluid and other debris from an ear canal is secured to the handle. The collection chamber has a reservoir for collecting and storing accumulated fluid and debris from the ear canal. An ear insertion element is secured to the collection chamber. The ear insertion element has an aperture continuous with the reservoir in the collection chamber. The motor in the handle creates a vacuum within the collection chamber, enabling fluids and debris to be drawn from the ear canal into the reservoir by suction.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      An ear fluid removal device for manually removing fluid and debris from the ear canal is disclosed. The ear fluid removal device provides a tool for removing fluid, particulates, or other debris from the ear canal while reducing the possibility of injury to the ear canal or surrounding tissues.  
      The ear fluid removal device includes an elongated flexible tube attached to an earpiece. The tube has a first end and a second end. The first end is adapted to be received by the mouth of a user. The second end is secured to the earpiece. The flexible tube is of sufficient length to span the distance between the mouth of the user and the user&#39;s ear. In one embodiment, the flexible tube is at least translucent and is of sufficient length as to allow the user to visually observe and monitor the aspiration and extraction of fluid and debris from the ear canal of the user.  
      In one embodiment, the earpiece is a piece of resiliently deformable material adaptable to be received by the ear of a user. The deformability of the earpiece allows the earpiece to compress for insertion and expand to substantially fill and conform to the contour of the user&#39;s ear canal. In one embodiment, the earpiece is a single piece of fluid-permeable material, such as open-cell foam. The earpiece connects to the tube second end such that the earpiece substantially surrounds and encloses the tube second end.  
      Another embodiment provides an earpiece having a through-opening, the through-opening receiving the flexible tube second end. In this embodiment, the earpiece is a piece of substantially fluid-impermeable material, such as closed-cell foam. In still another embodiment, the earpiece includes a piece of resiliently deformable material, such as open or closed-cell foam, substantially covered by a fluid-impermeable membrane. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The above-mentioned features of the invention will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention read together with the drawings in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a side view of one embodiment of an ear fluid removal device, showing the ear piece inserted into the ear of a user with the user providing suction to the tube;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the ear fluid removal device of  FIG. 1 , showing the flexible tube and the earpiece;  
       FIG. 3A  is a cross-sectional side view of one embodiment of the ear fluid removal device; and  
       FIG. 3B  is a cross-sectional side view showing another embodiment of the ear fluid removal device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      An ear fluid removal device for manually removing fluid and debris from the ear canal is disclosed. The ear fluid removal device provides a tool for removing fluid, particulates or other debris from the ear canal while reducing the possibility of injury to the ear canal or surrounding tissues. The ear fluid removal device allows the user to control the specific level of suction applied to the ear canal, and the device is usable by most individuals without specific medical training.  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a side elevation view of one embodiment of an ear fluid removal device  100 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the ear fluid removal device  100  includes an elongated flexible tube  102  attached to an earpiece  104 . The tube  102  is a conduit with a first end  106  and a second end  108 . The first end  106  is adapted to be received by the mouth  114  of a user  112 . The second end  108  is secured to the earpiece  104 , in one embodiment, by a frictional connection achieved by inserting the second end  108  of the tube  102  into an opening in the  5  earpiece  104 . In other embodiments, the second end  108  is secured to the earpiece  104  by mechanical fastening means, welds, adhesives, or by providing an elongated flexible tube  102  and an earpiece  104  as an integral unit. In still another embodiment, the second end  108  is detachably secured to the earpiece  104 .  
      The flexible tube  102  is of sufficient length to span the distance between the mouth  114  of the user  112  and the user&#39;s ear  116 . In one embodiment, the flexible tube  102  is of sufficient length as to allow the user  112  to visually observe the flexible tube  102  while the earpiece  104  is inserted into the user&#39;s ear  116  and the tube first end  106  is inserted into the user&#39;s mouth  114 . Additionally, at least a portion of the flexible tube  102  is translucent, such that the user  112  is able to determine the presence of fluid and debris inside the tube  102 . The translucent tube  102  allows the user  112  to visually monitor the aspiration and extraction of fluid and debris from the ear  116 . This feature allows the user to monitor collection of fluid and debris within the flexible tube  102 , so as to avoid inhalation of fluid and debris removed from the ear  116 . In another embodiment, the tube  102  is of such a length that a portion of the tube  102  serves as a reservoir for the collection of any fluid and/or debris collected from the ear  116 , thereby preventing the inhalation of any fluid or debris by the user  116 . Such a length would be sufficient if the tube  102  forms at least one loop between the two ends  106 ,  108  when the device  100  is in use.  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the ear fluid removal device  100  of  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the earpiece  104  is a piece of resiliently deformable material adaptable to be received by the ear  116  of a user  112 . The deformability of the earpiece  104  allows the earpiece  104  to be compressed for insertion and to subsequently expand to substantially fill and conform to the contour of the user&#39;s outer ear canal. The second end  108  of the tube  102  is connected to the earpiece  104  such that, when suction is applied to the tube first end  106 , a vacuum is created within the tube  102  and transferred to the earpiece  104 . When actuated by the vacuum, the earpiece  104  is capable of collecting fluid within the ear and transferring the fluid into the elongated flexible tube  102 .  
       FIG. 3A  is a cross-sectional view of the ear fluid removal device. As illustrated in  FIG. 3A , the earpiece  104  includes a single piece of fluid-permeable material. In one embodiment, the earpiece  104  is made of an open-cell foam. The earpiece  104  connects to the tube second end  108  and the earpiece  104  substantially surrounds and encloses the tube second end  108 . Those skilled in the art will recognize many other materials are suitable for use in the earpiece.  
      In use, the earpiece  104  is inserted into the ear  116  of the user  112 , and the tube first end  106  is inserted into the user&#39;s mouth  114 . The earpiece  104  absorbs fluid and particulates within the ear canal. The flexible tube  102  serves as a storage reservoir for the removed fluid and debris. The user  112  applies suction to the tube  102  by sucking on the tube first end  106  with the user&#39;s mouth  114 . The suction provided by the user  112  creates negative pressure within the flexible tube  102 , which in turn creates negative pressure within the pores of the earpiece  104 . This vacuum within the earpiece  104  helps to increase the absorption of fluid by the earpiece  104  within the ear canal. The user  112  views the flexible tube  102  to monitor the aspiration and collection of fluid and debris from the ear  116 . In another embodiment, the tube  102  is of sufficient length that it serves as a reservoir for the collection of any fluid and/or debris collected from the ear  116 . After fluid and debris is absorbed by the earpiece  104 , the user  112  removes the earpiece  104  from the ear  116 . The earpiece  104  and the flexible tube  102  are then cleaned, and the fluid and debris is discarded. Alternatively, after removal from the ear  116 , the earpiece  104  itself is discarded and replaced.  
       FIG. 3B  shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the ear fluid removal device  100  of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the earpiece  104 ′ includes a through-opening  110  that receives the flexible tube second end  108 ′. The earpiece  104 ′ surrounds the end  108  of the tube  102 , and the tube  102  completely penetrates the earpiece  104 ′. When inserted into the ear  116 , the earpiece  104 ′ expands to substantially fill and conform to the contour of the user&#39;s ear canal. When the user  112  provides suction to the tube  102 ′, fluid and particulates are collected through the through-opening  110  and deposited into the tube  102  through the tube second end  108 . The amount of vacuum created in the ear canal by the user  112  is limited by air entry from outside the ear  116  through the earpiece  104 ′. Therefore, the user  112  provides suction that causes air flow from outside the ear  116  and that air flow also carries the fluid and debris from inside the ear canal.  
      In the illustrated embodiment, the earpiece  104 ′ includes a piece of substantially fluid-impermeable material. In one embodiment, the earpiece  104 ′is made of an closed-cell foam. In another embodiment, the earpiece  104 ′includes a piece of resiliently deformable material with the cylindrical outer portion substantially covered by a fluid-impermeable membrane and the flat end inserted into the ear  116  adapted to absorb and pass fluids. That is, the cylindrical face of the earpiece  104  has a fluid-impermeable surface.  
      While the present invention has been illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described.  
      Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant&#39;s general inventive concept.