ARTORG Center, Department of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Otol Neurotol. 2012 Apr;33(3):311-8. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0b013e3182487de0.
Thiel-embalmed human whole head specimens represent an alternative model in middle ear research.
Research into middle ear mechanics and the evaluation of active middle ear implants are generally performed on fresh human temporal bone specimens. A drawback of this method is the limited period during which the specimen can be used before tissue decay begins. Tissue conservation that preserves mechanical properties is desirable.
Using laser Doppler vibrometry, the movement of the tympanic membrane, stapes, and round window were measured in 23 ears from 15 human whole head specimens embalmed according to Thiel. The ears were acoustically stimulated through the intact external auditory canal. The measurement results were compared with data from the literature.
The results were similar to those measured in living subjects and from fresh temporal bones, after excluding measurements with nontypical shapes or low amplitudes, that is, 9% for tympanic membrane, 38% for stapes, and 67% for round window. The best agreement was found for the tympanic membrane (mean difference between 0 and 5.2 dB) and for the stapes measurements (mean difference between 0 and 7.4 dB). Larger differences were found for the round window measurements (mean difference between 3 and 19 dB). For the stimulation levels used, the Thiel specimens behaved linearly in amplitude. The results remained reproducible for more than 20 hours in ambient air, and when the specimen was put back into Thiel solution, the measurements were stable for up to several months between measurements.
Our results showed that the middle ears of Thiel-embalmed human whole head specimens can be used to study human middle ear mechanics; however, significant differences in some frequencies, particularly at the round window, have to be considered.
经过 Thiel 防腐处理的完整人头标本可作为中耳研究的替代模型。
中耳力学的研究和主动式中耳植入物的评估通常是在新鲜的人颞骨标本上进行的。这种方法的一个缺点是标本在组织开始腐烂之前可使用的时间有限。需要保存机械性能的组织保存方法。
使用激光多普勒测振仪，测量了 15 个人头完整标本中 23 个耳朵的鼓膜、镫骨和圆窗的运动。通过完整的外耳道对耳朵进行声学刺激。将测量结果与文献中的数据进行比较。
排除形状异常或振幅较低的测量值（即鼓膜为 9%，镫骨为 38%，圆窗为 67%）后，结果与活体和新鲜颞骨测量值相似。鼓膜（0 到 5.2 dB 之间的平均差异）和镫骨测量值（0 到 7.4 dB 之间的平均差异）的吻合度最好。圆窗测量值的差异较大（3 到 19 dB 之间的平均差异）。对于使用的刺激水平，Thiel 标本的振幅呈线性变化。在环境空气中，结果可保持 20 小时以上的重现性，当标本放回 Thiel 溶液中时，在多次测量之间，测量值在数天内保持稳定。
我们的结果表明，经过 Thiel 防腐处理的完整人头标本的中耳可用于研究人类中耳力学；然而，在某些频率下，特别是在圆窗处，存在显著差异，需要考虑。
