Eric W Lang

US Patent:

6406484, Jun 18, 2002

Filed:

Nov 1, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/702635

Inventors:

Eric L Lang - Philadelphia PA 19149

International Classification:

A61F 1100

US Classification:

606162, 604 35

Abstract:

A system and method for removing impacted cerumen from within a persons auditory canal. The system includes a hand held instrument that is held against the ear, and a base that creates a negative pressure in the hand held instrument when it is not in use. The hand held instrument contains an auditory canal plug that seals over the auditory canal when manually biased against the auditory canal. The plug contains an aperture that leads to a vacuum chamber within the hand held instrument. The flow of air through the auditory canal plug and into the vacuum chamber is controlled by a manually operated flow control valve. The hand held instrument merely carries the vacuum chamber. To create a negative pressure in the vacuum chamber, the hand held instrument must be placed on a base. The base contains a vacuum pump that pneumatically interconnects with the vacuum chamber when the hand held instrument is placed on the base. The vacuum pump creates a negative pressure in the vacuum chamber that is maintained in the vacuum chamber even after the hand held instrument is removed from the base.