title: Measurement of stapes vibration in Human temporal bones by round window stimulation using a 3-coil transducer.
abstract: Round window placement of a 3-coil transducer offers a new approach for coupling an implantable hearing aid to the inner ear. The transducer exhibits high performance at low-frequencies. One remarkable feature of the 3-coil transducer is that it minimizes leakage flux. Thus, the transducer, which consists of two permanent magnets and three coils, can enhance vibrational displacement. In human temporal bones, stapes vibration was observed by laser Doppler vibrometer in response to round window stimulation using the 3-coil transducer. Coupling between the 3-coil transducer and the round window was connected by a wire-rod. The stimulation created stapes velocity when the round window stimulated. Performance evaluation was conducted by measuring stapes velocity. To verify the performance of the 3-coil transducer, stapes velocity for round window and tympanic membrane stimulation were compared, respectively. Stapes velocity by round window stimulation using the 3-coil transducer was approximately 14 dB higher than that achieved by tympanic membrane stimulation. The study shows that 3-coil transducer is suitable for implantable hearing aids.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Electronics Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Sangyuk-dong, Buk-Gu, Daegu, 702-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Ho
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Dong Wook
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyung Gyu
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Eui Sung
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Ki Woong
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Seong
authors.forename: Jyung Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Myoung Nam
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004867:Equipment Design; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008280:Magnetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012405:Round Window, Ear / Q000473:pathology*; D013199:Stapes / Q000502:physiology*; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000502:physiology*; D014159:Transducers; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D014732:Vibration
keywords: 3-coil transducer; Round window; stapes velocity; temporal bone