title: Point-impedance characterization of the basilar membrane in a three-dimensional cochlea model.
abstract: In this paper we derive which impedance definition appropriately represents the basilar membrane in a simple three-dimensional model (de Boer's 'block model') of the cochlea. The starting point of our considerations is a system of parallel visco-elastic beams as characterization of the basilar membrane. It is possible to transform this representation into an impedance concept by observing that the membrane velocity is to a very good approximation distributed over the width as a centred half cosine function, independent of the pressure distribution. The ensuing impedance definition is more accurate than the one proposed by de Boer (Hearing Res. 4, 53-77, 1981). The improvement to the model solutions is moderate, however, as appears from numerical calculations of the basilar membrane velocity.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001489:Basilar Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology*; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D008433:Mathematics; D008953:Models, Anatomic