title: A new floating piezoelectric microphone for the implantable middle ear microphone in experimental studies.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  The new floating piezoelectric microphone is feasible for use as an implantable middle ear microphone in a totally implantable cochlear implant.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A piezoelectric sensor that is driven by the acoustic vibration of the ossicles is one possible design for a microphone for a totally implantable cochlear implant. Such a new floating piezoelectric microphone has been manufactured in the lab. The purpose of this article was to study the frequency response of the new floating piezoelectric microphone in the intact ossicular chain and to identify whether it is usable and implantable.
  
  
  METHODS
  The frequency response of the new floating piezoelectric microphone was analyzed using in vitro testing of fresh cadaveric heads. The microphone, which was designed with an integrated unibody structure to ensure good biocompatibility and capsulation, was attached to the long process of the incus by a titanium clip, or placed in the tympanic cavity and stimulated with pure tones of different frequencies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The new floating piezoelectric microphone can pick up the vibration of the long process of the incus and convert it into electrical signals sensitively and flatly.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otology and Skull Base Surgery , Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University , Shanghai , PR China.|b Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Hearing Medicine , Shanghai , PR China.|c Key Laboratory of Hearing Science , Ministry of Health , Shanghai , PR China.
authors.forename: Xian-Hao
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otology and Skull Base Surgery , Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University , Shanghai , PR China.|b Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Hearing Medicine , Shanghai , PR China.|c Key Laboratory of Hearing Science , Ministry of Health , Shanghai , PR China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otology and Skull Base Surgery , Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University , Shanghai , PR China.|b Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Hearing Medicine , Shanghai , PR China.|c Key Laboratory of Hearing Science , Ministry of Health , Shanghai , PR China.
authors.forename: Xin-da
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otology and Skull Base Surgery , Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University , Shanghai , PR China.|b Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Hearing Medicine , Shanghai , PR China.|c Key Laboratory of Hearing Science , Ministry of Health , Shanghai , PR China.
authors.forename: Yong-Zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: d Department of Otorhinolaryngology , The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University , Chongqing , PR China.
authors.forename: Hou-Yong
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otology and Skull Base Surgery , Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University , Shanghai , PR China.|b Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Hearing Medicine , Shanghai , PR China.|c Key Laboratory of Hearing Science , Ministry of Health , Shanghai , PR China.
authors.forename: Fang-Lu
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Chi
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D006801:Humans; D011474:Prosthesis Design
keywords: Floating piezoelectric microphone; implantable middle ear microphone; totally implantable cochlear implant