Biomechanical simulation of the human ear

In this study, the biomechanical behaviour of the human hearing was studied. An accurate finite element model can be used to evaluate the influence of certain hearing diseases and aid in their treatment, as well as help to comprehend the phenomenon of sound transmission. This research was based on the project "The Visible Ear" developed by a group of Danish students in order to obtain a set of high quality images of the temporal bone, using a "cryosectioning" procedure [1]. This project allowed the development of the computational models used. CAD software was used to treat each of the parts that compose the human ear. The first tested model (simple model) was composed of the tympanic membrane, ossicles, cochlea, two muscles, six ligaments, two joints, and the temporal bone. The full model was based on the simple model adding air to the external auditory canal and middle ear, the skin, the jaw and the ear cartilage. Comparing the results obtained by both models, it was possible to understand the importance of the ear canal in the transmission of the sound to the eardrum. The models were simulated numerically with the Abaqus software. The natural frequencies, displacements of the umbo and stapes footplate were obtained for both models, for different sound pressure levels. The frequency band used in this study was between 100 Hz and 10 kHz.