Mechanical properties of human middle ear tissues.

Abstract

Mechanical properties of four middle ear tissues were then employed in a published 3-dimensional finite element model of human ear with an accurate geometric configuration to investigate the transfer function of human middle ear in ligament related pathological conditions. The model predicted results were compared with temporal bone experimental data, and a good agreement between modeling results and experimental data were observed.

The major contribution of this study is to provide new and useful data on mechanical properties of middle ear tissues in literature. The results can be used for the theoretical analysis of human middle ear function under the normal or pathological conditions.

The geometric information of four middle ear tissues were also obtained through the image measuring technique and listed with statistic significances in Chapter 3. The mechanical properties of these middle ear tissues were then summarized and differences among them were explained based on their micro-structures and functions in Chapter 6.

In this dissertation, mechanical properties of four middle ear tissues: tympanic membrane or eardrum, stapedial tendon, tensor tympani tendon and anterior malleolar ligament, were reported through experimental measurement and modeling analysis. The mechanical experiments with the aid of digital image correlation method were used to measure the stress-strain relationship, stress relaxation function, and ultimate or failure stress and strain of these middle ear tissues. The experimental results were further analyzed by finite element modeling and material modeling analysis with nonlinear hyperelastic models, the Ogden model and the modified Ogden model, to derive constitutive equations of investigated tissues. The viscoelastic properties of four middle ear tissues were reported for the first time in literature.