Light based hearing systems, apparatus, and methods

1. A method of manufacturing a tympanic lens, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a digital model of at least a portion of a user's ear canal;

manufacturing an ear canal mold using the digital model, wherein the ear canal mold includes a recessed portion wherein the recessed portion includes a model of at least a portion of the user's medial ear canal, including the tympanic membrane;

manufacturing an alignment tool, including a chassis alignment feature and a photodetector alignment feature, wherein the chassis alignment feature and the photodetector alignment feature are unique to the anatomy of the user;

mating the ear canal mold and alignment tool;

mounting a chassis in the ear canal mold using the chassis alignment feature to properly align the chassis in the ear canal mold;

mounting a photodetector to the chassis; and

using the photodetector alignment feature to position the photodetector on the chassis prior to gluing the photodetector in place,

wherein the method further comprises a step of creating registration markers to align the digital model with global predetermined coordinates of a digital working environment after a step of digitally scanning an ear canal impression to create the digital model of the user's ear canal.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of creating a digital model comprises the steps of:

forming the ear canal impression, including the user's tympanic membrane; and digitally scanning the ear canal impression to create the digital model of the user's ear canal.

3. A method of manufacturing a tympanic lens according to claim 1 , wherein the digital model is used to size the chassis for the tympanic lens.

4. A method of manufacturing a tympanic lens according to claim 3 , wherein the chassis is sized for the user.

5. A method of manufacturing a tympanic lens according to claim 4 , wherein the ear canal mold is coated with a flexible material.

6. A method of manufacturing a tympanic lens according to claim 5 , wherein the flexible material is Parylene.

7. A method of manufacturing a tympanic lens according to claim 1 , wherein the chassis is placed into the mold, using the alignment tool to fix the position of the chassis with respect to the tympanic membrane and features thereof.

8. A method of manufacturing a tympanic lens according to claim 5 , further including the steps of:

gluing the chassis to the flexible material coating the mold; and

cutting the flexible material to create a perimeter platform and an umbo lens.

9. A method of manufacturing a tympanic lens according to claim 8 wherein the flexible material is Parylene.

10. A method of manufacturing a tympanic lens according to claim 1 wherein components of the tympanic lens are manufactured using 3D printing.

11. A method of manufacturing a tympanic lens according to claim 1 , wherein an origin of the global predetermined coordinates of the digital working environment is positioned at the deepest point of the digital model of the user's ear canal.

12. A method of verifying the alignment of a user unique light tip and tympanic lens, the method comprising the steps of:

manufacturing a light tip using a digital model of the lateral portion of the user's ear canal, the tympanic lens including an emitter;

manufacturing a tympanic lens using a digital model of the medial portion of the user's ear canal, including the user's tympanic membrane, the tympanic lens including a photodetector;

manufacturing a verification fixture, the verification fixture comprising:

an ear canal mold manufactured using the digital model of the lateral portion of user's ear canal;

a tympanic lens mold manufactured using the digital representation of the medial portion of a user's ear canal;

mating the ear canal mold and tympanic lens mold in a manner which replicates the relation between the user's ear canal and tympanic membrane;

positioning the light tip in the ear canal mold;

positioning the tympanic lens in the tympanic lens mold;

exciting the emitter in the light tip; and

measuring electrical output from the photodetector.

13. A method of creating one or more alignment tools, the method comprising:

making one or more physical impressions of a user's ear canal;

scanning the one or more impressions to create one or more digital models of the user's ear canal, including the user's tympanic membrane;

digitally combining the one or more digital models to create a combined digital model of the user's ear canal;

creating a first alignment tool using a distal portion of the combined digital model, wherein the first alignment tool replicates, at least in part, the user's tympanic membrane and surrounding anatomy;

creating a second alignment tool, the second alignment tool comprising a photodetector alignment feature and a chassis alignment feature; and

creating a third alignment tool, the third alignment tool comprising the first and second alignment tools.

14. The method of creating one or more alignment tools according to claim 13 , wherein creating the third alignment tool comprises the step of creating the third alignment tool using a proximal portion of the combined digital model, wherein the second alignment tool replicates, at least in part, the lateral portion of the user's ear canal anatomy.