Institute of Biomedical Engineering Research, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41944, Republic of Korea.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41944, Republic of Korea.
Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2024 Dec;120:106349. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2024.106349. Epub 2024 Sep 18.
This study describes the development of output devices for round window middle-ear. To overcome the problems of output devices that apply sound pressure directly to the round window, an acoustic bellows-type round window transducer was implemented by combining a small bellows, acoustic tube, and balanced armature driver.
The output characteristics of the proposed acoustic bellows-type round window transducer were confirmed through bench tests and distortion measurements. To compare the vibration transmission characteristics of the proposed transducer with those of sound pressure stimulation devices, an experiment was performed using four human temporal bones.
The average output magnitude of the acoustic bellows-type round window transducer was equivalent to sound pressure levels of 92, 96, and 108 dB for frequency ranges of <1, 1-2, and > 2 kHz, respectively. The results showed that the proposed transducer delivered vibration consistently without reducing the sound pressure level due to leakage, unlike the sound pressure stimulation device.
Therefore, the acoustic bellows-type round window transducer is a more stable and suitable output device for round window middle-ear implants than a sound pressure stimulation device. It is expected to overcome the limitations of sound pressure stimulation devices and to contribute to new technical solutions in the field of round window middle-ear implants development.
本研究描述了圆窗中耳输出设备的开发。为克服将声压直接施加于圆窗的输出设备所存在的问题，我们通过结合小波纹管、声管和平衡电枢驱动器实现了声学波纹管式圆窗换能器。
通过台架测试和失真度测量，对所提出的声学波纹管式圆窗换能器的输出特性进行了确认。为了比较所提出的换能器与声压刺激设备的振动传递特性，我们使用了 4 个人颞骨进行了实验。
声学波纹管式圆窗换能器的平均输出幅度对于<1、1-2 和>2 kHz 的频率范围，分别相当于 92、96 和 108 dB 的声压级。结果表明，与声压刺激设备不同，所提出的换能器能够持续传递振动，而不会因泄漏而降低声压级。
因此，与声压刺激设备相比，声学波纹管式圆窗换能器是一种更稳定、更适合圆窗中耳植入物的输出设备。它有望克服声压刺激设备的局限性，并为圆窗中耳植入物开发领域的新技术解决方案做出贡献。
