Abstract
Before clinical data are available, the achievable output levels of Implantable Middle Ear Hearing Devices (IMEHDs) are usually characterized in human cadaveric temporal bones (TBs) by measuring the vibration response of the stapes footplate with a laser Doppler vibrometer. However, this method is accurate only if the ossicular chain is stimulated and the cochlea is intact. For other stimulations, such as perilymph stimulation with a Direct Acoustic Cochlear Implant (DACI) and round window stimulation an alternative measurement method is needed. The sound pressure difference between scala vestibuli (SV) and scala tympani (ST) is a good candidate for such a method as it correlates with evoked potentials in animals. Using a custom-made pressure sensor it has been successfully measured and used to characterize acoustical and mechanical stimulation in human cadaveric TBs. In order to make this method accessible to a wider community, an off-the-shelf pressure sensor (Samba Preclin 420 LP, Samba Sensors) was tested here for intracochlear sound pressure measurements in cadaver ears. During acoustic stimulation, intracochlear sound pressures were simultaneously measurable in SV and ST between 0.1 – 8 kHz with sufficient signal-to-noise ratios with this sensor. The intracochlear sound pressure differences were comparable to results obtained with custom-made sensors. Our results demonstrated that the pressure sensor Samba Preclin 420 LP is usable for measurements of intracochlear sound pressures in SV and ST and for the determination of differential intracochlear sound pressures.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call