Cerumen removal apparatus

Abstract

A cerumen removal apparatus for removing cerumen from an ear canal. The apparatus includes a body having a distal end and a proximal end interconnected by a main longitudinal axis; said distal end including a hollow collector head having at least one spiral vane or ridge projecting radially inward from an inner surface thereof and enclosing a lumen ending with an opening opened to said lumen for amassing said cerumen in said lumen via said opening; wherein said at least one spiral vane or ridge is adapted to guide the cerumen in a proximal direction into said hollow collector head when said hollow collector head rotates in the ear canal.

1 - 168 . (canceled) 
     
     
         169 . A cerumen removal apparatus configured to remove cerumen from an ear canal, the apparatus comprising
 a device body and a collector head interconnected by a main longitudinal axis;   wherein said collector head is having a helical shape and is designed to collapse under a predetermined pressure which is less than the pressure required to push the cerumen into the ear canal, and wherein said collector head has low resistance to bending so as to facilitate its insertion into the inner part of the ear canal and allow bending in all three dimensions.   
     
     
         170 . The apparatus of  claim 169 , wherein said collector head is deformable, wherein said collector head is configured to fit a size and a shape of said ear canal when said collector head is inserted into said ear canal. 
     
     
         171 . The apparatus of  claim 170 , wherein at least a portion of said collector head has a cross sectional diameter that fits the diameter of the ear canal to allow rotation of said collector head within said ear canal. 
     
     
         172 . The apparatus of  claim 169 , wherein said collector head is having a milling bit or archimedes screw-like structure. 
     
     
         173 . The apparatus of  claim 169 , further comprising a flexible section between said collector head and said device body, wherein said flexible section is designed to enable bending in all three dimensions. 
     
     
         174 . The apparatus of  claim 173 , wherein said flexible section is configured to change shape so as to follow a tortuosity of said ear canal via at least one of: deformation, bending, twisting, and rotation. 
     
     
         175 . The apparatus of  claim 173 , wherein said flexible section includes at least one of:
 accordion pleating, a spiral spring, a flexible material, and a plurality of hingedly connected segments.   
     
     
         178 . The apparatus of  claim 169 , wherein said collector head is configured to be movable along said main longitudinal axis such that said collector head is extendable from said device body. 
     
     
         179 . The apparatus of  claim 169 , further comprising a retraction mechanism configured to enable retraction of said collector head into said device body. 
     
     
         180 . The apparatus of  claim 169 , further comprising at least one rotating mechanism configured to rotate said collector head, wherein rotation of said collector head causes said collector head to amass said cerumen and to remove said cerumen from said ear canal. 
     
     
         181 . The apparatus of  claim 169 , wherein at east a portion of said collector head comprises a deformable spring-like material configured to apply radial forces that press said portion against the walls of said ear canal. 
     
     
         182 . The apparatus of  claim 181 , wherein said deformable spring-like material is selected from silicone, fiber mesh, cellulose, polyurethane, polyethylene, polyamide, polypropylene, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         183 . The apparatus of  claim 169 , wherein said helix ends at said distal end.