title: A hydromechanical biomimetic cochlea: experiments and models.
abstract: The construction, measurement, and modeling of an artificial cochlea (ACochlea) are presented in this paper. An artificial basilar membrane (ABM) was made by depositing discrete Cu beams on a piezomembrane substrate. Rather than two fluid channels, as in the mammalian cochlea, a single fluid channel was implemented on one side of the ABM, facilitating the use of a laser to detect the ABM vibration on the other side. Measurements were performed on both the ABM and the ACochlea. The measurement results on the ABM show that the longitudinal coupling on the ABM is very strong. Reduced longitudinal coupling was achieved by cutting the membrane between adjacent beams using a laser. The measured results from the ACochlea with a laser-cut ABM demonstrate cochlear-like features, including traveling waves, sharp high-frequency rolloffs, and place-specific frequency selectivity. Companion computational models of the mechanical devices were formulated and implemented using a circuit simulator. Experimental data were compared with simulation results. The simulation results from the computational models of the ABM and the ACochlea are similar to their experimental counterparts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Hearing Research Center Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. chenfa@ohsu.edu
authors.forename: Fangyi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Howard I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Bifano
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castle
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fortin
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kapusta
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mountain
authors.forename: Aleks
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zosuls
authors.forename: Allyn E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hubbard
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001489:Basilar Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology*; D004548:Elasticity; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008954:Models, Biological; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D011145:Polyvinyls; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014732:Vibration; D005465:Fluorocarbon Polymers
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D011145:Polyvinyls; C024865:polyvinylidene fluoride; D005465:Fluorocarbon Polymers