Active control of fluid-loaded vibrations in the mammalian inner ear

Abstract

The mammalian inner ear is a sensory system that converts acoustic signals into electrical signals sent by hair cells to the brain. Hair cells are stimulated by vibrations of cochlear structures that are immersed in cochlear fluids. Normal hearing requires the presence of a nonlinear active feedback mechanism that boosts vibrations of cochlear structures and makes it possible to achieve high sensitivity, high frequency selectivity, and a broad dynamic range. In this talk, I will present the key characteristics of active control of vibration in the mammalian inner ear. I will demonstrate that computational models that take into account the structural acoustics of the inner ear and include realistic models of the active feedback mechanism can help to better understand the active control of vibrations in the inner ear. This understanding could be exploited to design biomimetic sensors and acoustic filters.