Characterizing the Active Opening of the Eustachian Tube in a Hypobaric/Hyperbaric Pressure Chamber

Abstract

Standard values for the opening pressure of the tube and the tube opening duration for active tubal openings (Valsalva maneuver, swallowing) were described, and typical curve gradients for healthy subjects could be shown. This is another step toward analyzing the function of the tube in compression and decompression.

Impact of Xylomethazoline on Eustachian Tube Function in Healthy Participants

“…Therefore, participants were asked to swallow if they felt discomfort in the ear. Our research group was the first to show that it was possible to measure standard data in the active equalization system (24).…”

“…Recently, data for ET parameters of the passive and active tube opening were published on healthy participants in a pure hypobaric pressure chambers (21Y23). Our research group obtained standard values for ET parameters of the passive and active tube opening in a combined hypobaric/hyperbaric pressure chamber (12,24). In this study, we measured the same cohort (30 healthy participants) as we reported in the previous publication (24) but with a different hypothesis.…”

Reliability of Eustachian tube function measurements in a hypobaric and hyperbaric pressure chamber

“…Measurements were performed in hypobaric and hyperbaric environments. The pressure was set between 0.8 bar and 1.2 bar as established in different studies before …”

“…The test protocol contained phases of decompression (1 bar‐0.8 bar and 1.2 bar‐1 bar) and compression (0.8 bar‐1.2 bar). We described the utilised standard protocol in detail in former publications (Figure ) …”

“…Nonetheless, as pressure chambers are costly and time‐consuming, these devices do not enjoy widespread use. Systematic studies for the validation of passive and active induced pressure equalisation were performed on healthy participants in a hypobaric and combined hyperbaric and hypobaric pressure chambers …”