Verification of cochlea behaviour between numerical approach and experiment measurements

The cochlea is the principal part of the inner ear, where mechanical vibrations (forced by sound waves) are transformed into electrical neural signals. Determination of the dynamic behaviour and properties of the hearing organ is the key to de-velop successful new hearing aid devices and hearing implants. In this paper, unique Third Window (TW) experimental measurements are presented to verify the cochlear dynamics with a numerical mathematical model. This technique enables the dynamical behaviour at different points to be determined within the cochlea. An integral part of the method is the application of a micro-surgical robotic drill that enables removal of bone tissue while leaving a consistent window of the delicate endosteal membrane intact such that it behaves as the micro-diaphragm of a pressure transducer, responding to disturbances induced within the cochlea. The background of the robotic drill is fundamental to this study and is described brief-ly in the paper. The method to measure disturbances of the membrane is described leading to results describing behaviour that are also reflected in a mathematical simulation model that can be used to predict power levels and reinforce the under-standing of behaviour