The tympanic membrane (TM) (or eardrum) is the initial structure in the middle-ear's acoustic-mechanical transformation of environmental sounds to sound within the inner ear. While there are many hypotheses of how the TM couples sound to the rest of the ear, there is little data to test these hypotheses. In the past three years we have used newly developed laser holography techniques to measure the magnitude and phase of sound-induced motions of the TM surface in a number of mammalian species. The results of those measurements suggest that TM motions can be well described by a summation of a few types of motion, including: relatively long-wavelength modal (2D standing-wave) motions and relatively short wavelength traveling waves. This grant will first test the generality of this simple description across a broad range of sound frequencies and middle-ear types, and use spatial variations in the velocity of the traveling waves to compare the mechanical properties of different anatomically identifiable locations of the TM in multiple mammalian species. Next, these data will be compared to simultaneously gathered laser-vibrometer measurements of sound-induced ossicular motion in order to test the popular theory that delays associated with wave-travel on the TM contribute to delays in sound-conduction through the middle ear. Additional TM surface and ossicular motion measurements made with modified and artificial ear canals test a second theory by determining whether the location and orientation of the TM within the ear canal contribute to sound- induced surface waves on the TM and delays in ossicular motion. Several other theories of how perforations affect TM motion and middle-ear sound transfer will be tested by measurements of the sound-induced motion of the TM and ossicles before and after controlled perforations and slits in the TM. Finally, we apply our techniques to assess how a common middle-ear reconstruction technique, the use of thin cartilage sheets on the TM, affects both TM and ossicular motion. A surprising preliminary result that requires further investigation is that the placement of cartilage sheets can greatly reduce traveling waves on the TM while producing little change in ossicular motion. If generally true, this result implies that the traveling waves we see on the TM are not relevant to sound transfer through the middle ear. Such a result would suggest that long-wave-length modal displacements of the TM, which are less affected by the cartilage, determine TM function, and refute theories that complex interactions of multiple short-wave-length responses drive the TM's response to higher frequency sounds.

Public Health Relevance

Disorders of the eardrum and middle ear are some of the most common causes of hearing loss, and procedures to eliminate middle-ear disease and reconstruct middle-ear function are the most common surgeries performed by otologists. The work proposed will better define the function of the normal and pathologic eardrum and can lead to improvements in reconstructing the eardrum.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC008642-08
Application #
8642621
Study Section
Auditory System Study Section (AUD)
Program Officer
Watson, Bracie
Project Start
2007-01-01
Project End
2015-03-31
Budget Start
2014-04-01
Budget End
2015-03-31
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02114
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Cheng, Jeffrey Tao; Ravicz, Michael; Guignard, Jérémie et al. (2015) The Effect of Ear Canal Orientation on Tympanic Membrane Motion and the Sound Field Near the Tympanic Membrane. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 16:413-32
Dobrev, I; Furlong, C; Cheng, J T et al. (2015) Optimization of a lensless digital holographic otoscope system for transient measurements of the human tympanic membrane. Exp Mech 55:459-470
Khaleghi, Morteza; Furlong, Cosme; Ravicz, Mike et al. (2015) Three-dimensional vibrometry of the human eardrum with stroboscopic lensless digital holography. J Biomed Opt 20:051028
Ravicz, Michael E; Tao Cheng, Jeffrey; Rosowski, John J (2014) Sound pressure distribution within natural and artificial human ear canals: forward stimulation. J Acoust Soc Am 136:3132
Ulku, Cagatay Han; Cheng, Jeffrey Tao; Guignard, Jeremie et al. (2014) Comparisons of the mechanics of partial and total ossicular replacement prostheses with cartilage in a cadaveric temporal bone preparation. Acta Otolaryngol 134:776-84
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Cheng, Jeffrey Tao; Hamade, Mohamad; Merchant, Saumil N et al. (2013) Wave motion on the surface of the human tympanic membrane: holographic measurement and modeling analysis. J Acoust Soc Am 133:918-37
Khaleghi, Morteza; Lu, Weina; Dobrev, Ivo et al. (2013) Digital holographic measurements of shape and 3D sound-induced displacements of Tympanic Membrane. Opt Eng 52:101916
Furlong, Cosme; Dobrev, Ivo; Rosowski, John et al. (2013) Assessing eardrum deformation by digital holography. SPIE Newsroom :

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