AN ARTIFICIAL TYMPANUM
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eduardo Giampietro, of Naples, in the Kingdom
of Italy, Doctor of Medicine, for the Invention of "AN ARTIFICIAL
TYMPANUM."
Sealed the 11th September 1874, and dated the 23rd March 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eduardo Giampietro at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd March 1874.
I, EDUARDO GIAMPIETRO, of Naples, in the Kingdom of Italy,
Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN ARTIFICIAL TYMPANUM," to be as follows:-
-
I have long contemplated the construction of a small instrument.
uniting all the advantages claimed under the title of an artificial
tympanum without presenting any of the inconveniences which I have
observed in the instruments of Bauzer, Leschevin, Toad, Autenrieth,
Miot, and Toynbee, and after many trials and suppositions I have at
last invented one which appears to me capable of satisfying every
practical requirement..

page_text: On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view
of an artificial tympanum embodying my Invention; Fig. 2 an end view
of same; and Fig. 3 detached part, the whole drawn to a scalo seven
times the ordinary size.
My artificial tympanum is composed of two parts, the one of metal,
the other of flexible india-rubber.
1°. The india-rubber part is formed of a disc or washer a slightly
ovoid, presenting two surfaces and an edge. The internal surface, that
is to say, that which is to come against the natural tympanum or upon
the bottom of the meatus is plane and smooth. The other surface or
external surface has at its lower third part a boss 6 of about 1/2 of
an inch in thickness which lengthens perpendicularly into a stem c
of about 12th of an inch in thickness by a length of about ½ of an
inch.
25
2°. The metal part is composed of a spiral d, preferably of gold,
surrounding and firmly holding the above-mentioned stem and fastened
at one end to the boss of the disc so that this latter cannot in any way-
turn upon its axis. This spiral is soldered at the other extremity to one
end of the lower branch e of inoxydisable metal and from %25 to 25 of
an inch in length, terminating in a small ball behind which a small
ring is soldered vertically and transversely on the said branch. At
its point of junction m with the spiral the said branch is jointed to
another analogous branchi / termed the upper branch and terminating
in a horizontal segment of a circle / of, say, 0001,5 in breadth and
om 000,08 in thickness, in shape of a half moon of a size equal to
one-fourth of the circumference of the meatus and a little more, with
the concavity turned downward and having 'two small balls at its
ends.
In the centre of the half moon is soldered a ring na little broader"
than the lower ring and placed a little more. forward so that on pressing
these two branches these rings do not touch. A small spring / placed
behind the lower ring keeps the two branches apart. The two branches
are slightly curvilineal and concentric. The branches of this instrument*
measure of an inch in thickness, their length for a man of thirty
years of age and upward is % of an inch, but as this is a variable
element it is well to regulate it according to the measure of the
meatus of each patient.
23

page_text: The mode of applying the instrument is as follows:-The patient
being scated, the head inclined upon the shoulder opposite to the
discased car, the surgeon standing enlightens the bottom of the ear
either by causing a ray of the sun to penetrate it, or if the sun is not
visible by using the ordinary means of external otoscopy. Directly he
has distinguished the point of the perforation he will take the external
car between the forefinger and thumb of his left hand and will pull it
forcibly upward and outward, then with the right hand armed with
delicate nippers he will take the artificial tympanum by the inside of the
two rings g, n, then pressing together the branches of the nippers and
consequently those of the tympanum he will promptly introduce it into
the meatus, following the postero-anterior and downward direction, that
is to say, following an imaginary line passing from the centre of the
orifice of the meatus through the opposite angle of the mouth. This
done the operator, leaving the branches of the nippers free, will permit
the internal spring of my little instrument to open the two branches,
which will fix themselves the one at the top the other at the bottom of
the meatus, finally he will withdraw the nippers.
If the tympanum has been constructed to the exact measurement of
the ear operated upon the two small balls should fix themselves in.
the middle of the length of the meatus or only a few millimetres beyond
the limit of the osseous part. It is therefore necessary to ascertain
firstly if the instrument has been made according to the given measure-
ment.
When the surgeon has perfectly secured the instrument in the desired
position be will with his thumb exert a suitable pressure upon the
tragus pushing it on the orifice of the meatus, and he will pull the
external car in various directions requesting the patient at the same
time to execute movements of mastication. If these manoeuvers cause
no painful sensation within the meatus it will be a certain proof of
the proper application of the instrument and of its toleration by the
patient.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Eduardo Giampietro in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st September 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDUARDO
GIAMPIETRO, of Naples, in the Kingdom of Italy, Doctor of Medicine,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Eduardo Giampietro, Her special
licence that I, the said Eduardo Giampietro, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Eduardo Giampietro,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter:
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
“AN ARTIFICIAL TYMPANUM," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Eduardo Giampietro, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Eduardo Giampietro, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:→
My Invention relates to an artificial tympanum uniting all the known
improvements which are necessary for this kind of apparatus without
any of the inconveniences common in instruments of the same kind
Invented by Bauzer, Toad, Autenrieth, Leschevin, & Toynbee.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings in which
Fig. I. represents an end view of the instrument; Fig. II. a side
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings in which 3
Fig. I. represents an end view of the instrument; Fig. II. a side

page_text: longitudidal view of the same; and Fig. III., a sectional transversal
view of the india-rubber disc. Similar letters indicate corresponding
parts.
My artificial tympanum is formed of two parts, one of metal the other
of flexible india-rubber.
The india-rubber part is formed of a disc or slightly ovoid rundle a
showing two surfaces and one rim. The inside face, that is to say, that
which is destined to rest on the natural tympanum or upon the basis of
the auditory duct is flat and smooth. At a third of the lower part of the
outside face is fixed a projection 6 of about a millimetre in thickness
which is elongated perpendicularly into a rod or pin c one millimetre
thick and seven millimetres long.
2nd: Tlie metallic part consists of a golden spiral d of which the
interior receives and holds the above-mentioned rod firmly and is fastened
at one end of its extremities to the projection of the disc, in such a
manner that the latter cannot turn upon its axis in any way whatever.
This spiral is soldered to the other extremity at one end of the lower
branch e formed with an inoxidizable metal from 6 to 7 millimetres
long which terminates in a little ball behind which a small ring 9 is
soldered vertically and transversally. At the point of junction m with
the spiral spring the said branch is linked to another analogous upper
branch terminating in a horizontal part of a circle about 0.0015-
broad and 0.00008 thick in the shape of a half moon with a dimension
equal to the fourth of the circumference of the auditory duct and curved
downwards with rather more concavity and terminating its extremities in
two little balls.
In the centre of the half moon is soldered a ring n rather larger than
the lower one and placed more foreward so that in pressing the two
branches these rings do not touch. A little spring / placed behind the
lower ring keeps the two branches one from the other; the two branches e
and are slightly curvilineal and concentric. The branches of this
instrument are a millimetre thick, their length for the ear of a man
about thirty years old is 15 millimetres about, but as that is a variable
element it is well to regulate it according to the measurement of cach
patient's auditory duct.
The mode of applying the instrument is as follows:-The patient

page_text: car, the surgeon 'standing brings the centre of the car properly into the
light, either by bringing a ray of the sun to bear on it, or in default of
sun by using the ordinary means of external otoscopy. As soon as he has
distinguished the point of perforation he will take the trumpet of the
ear between his forefinger and thumb and pull it strongly up and down,
then with a pair of pincers provided with thin nippers in his right hand
he will take hold of the artificial tympanum by the interior of the
rings g, n, then pressing the handles of the pincers and thus also
the branches a and k of the tympanum he will introduce the latter
promptly into the auditory duct following the postero-anterior direction 1
and from top to bottom, that is to say, following an idcal line passing
from the centre of the orifice of the duct through the opposite angle of
the mouth; then the handles of the pincers being freed the two branches
of the apparatus will be opened under the action of the inside spring h
& will fix themselves one at the top the other at the bottom of the 1
auditory duct, and afterwards the pincers will be drawn out.
•
If the tympanum has been constructed according to the exact
measurement of the ear operated upon, the, two little balls should fix
themselves at a point in the middle of the length of the duct or only a
few millimetres beyond the limit of its bony portion. It is then 2
necessary first of all to make sure whether the instrument has been
constructed according to the indicated measurement.
After the surgeon has safely placed the instrument in the required
position let him with his thumb employ a suitable pressure on the
tragus while pushing it on the orifice of the auditory duct, and let him 2
pull the trumpet of the ear in different ways and ask the patient to go.
through the movements of mastication. If these experiments give
place to no painful sensations in the interior of the duct it will be a
certain proof of the proper application of the instrument and of the want
of pain to the patient.
30
It is easily seen from the description of my instrument with what
facility and safety it can be inserted and withdrawn, and how com-
pletely it may be borne, since while slightly resting on the tympanum
it is maintained in position without fear of it swerving by the two free
branches which remain open in the duct, and solidly fixed against its 35
walls by the effect of the inside spring. The little spiral spring & which
sustains the india-rubber disc is destined to lessen the shocks which

page_text: the membrane would produce on the surface of the artificial tympanunı
on the deep and rapid expirations of sneezing, so that the membrane
losing none of its liberty of movement and undergoing no abnormal
pressure accustoms itself without any difficulty to the action of the
india-rubber disc a, by means of which the waves of sound will be
easily transmitted to the bound up ossicles.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eduardo Giampietro, have hereto
set my hand seal, this Seventeenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
EDUARDO GIAMPIETRO. (L.S.)