The Dielectric Behavior of Human ex vivo Cochlear Perilymph

This work details the acquisition, handling, and measurement of microliters of perilymph, the fluid inside the human hearing organ, using dielectric relaxation spectroscopy and the correlation of the molecular relaxations to the physiological composition. Comparing between ex-vivo fresh, fresh-frozen and fixed sources reveals that dielectric absorption of the pulses is due to alpha- and beta-charge transfer relaxation related to the geometry of white blood cells, lymphocytes, in the perilymph. Interestingly, comparing the presence of molecular relaxations and the amplitude of dielectric absorption, perilymph obtained from fixed temporal bones matches fresh perilymph better than when obtained from fresh frozen source, due to the importance of well-preserved cell geometry.