Sound Transmission in the First Nonlinear Model of Middle Ear with an Active Implant

Abstract

This paper shows an influence of a transducer of a middle ear implant on ear dynamics on the basis of the multi-degree-of-freedom biomechanical system. Results of numerical simulations of an ear model with implant are compared with those of the healthy middle ear. Two variants of damping are analysed. The first one typical for a normal healthy middle ear structure and the second one describes pathological properties of the human ear. Moreover, the behaviour of the transducer under various external excitations is investigated. For some set of parameters, the middle ear with the implant behaves regularly but sometimes even chaotically in case of strong excitation.

Biomechanics of the Human Middle Ear with Viscoelasticity of the Maxwell and the Kelvin–Voigt Type and Relaxation Effect

“…Thus, our study is the first attempt to compare viscoelastic properties of ligaments and joints in the middle ear on the stapes behaviour. The three models analysed here have the same first resonance as that obtained from the experiment performed by the authors of [ 14 , 16 ] and reported in other papers [ 5 , 31 ]; however, the shift of the second resonance, due to the relaxation effect in Model 3, is considered by us to be a new and interesting phenomenon.…”

“…In the numerical experiments, the parameters of the model presented in Table 2 are used. The parameters of stiffness ( k ), damping ( c ), and mass ( m ) are taken from [ 14 ]. The rest of them, which are new in the presented models, are estimated based on experimental findings in such a way that the numerical outcomes (FRF) correspond to the experimental ones, mainly the frequencies and amplitudes of resonances have been compared.…”

“…Nonlinear properties of tendons and ligaments in the middle ear are two separate problems that should be discussed here, as nonlinearities can significantly influence system dynamics. The problem has been mentioned in several papers, e.g., [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. For example, Cheng and Gan investigated the nonlinear mechanical properties of the anterior malleolar ligament (AML) via experimental measurement and the material modelling point of view [ 17 ].…”

Recent advances in periodic vibrations of the middle ear with a floating mass transducer

“…Undoubtedly, there is no mechanical lumped mass model that could explain the implanted human middle ear behaviour. Only several papers that treat the middle ear as a lumped mass structure have been published [20,22]. The paper [22] shows a simple linear model without deep investigation, while the model proposed in [20] is more complex and nonlinear.…”

“…Only several papers that treat the middle ear as a lumped mass structure have been published [20,22]. The paper [22] shows a simple linear model without deep investigation, while the model proposed in [20] is more complex and nonlinear. The paper [20] focuses on irregular vibrations of the middle ear bones and the transducer elements.…”