Date of Award

2011

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Engineering Science

Program

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Supervisor

Dr. Hanif Ladak

Second Advisor

Dr. Abbas Samani

Abstract

Finite-element (FE) models of the eardrum have been developed to understand its impedance-matching function. Modeling accuracy depends on the assumed elastic properties. Although the eardrum is an orthotropic elastic structure, for simplicity, most investigators have measured the eardrum’s elastic properties while assuming it is isotropic. No data are available in the literature on the eardrum’s orthotropic elastic properties. In this work, existing indentation-based and pressurization-based methods were extended for estimating the orthotropic elastic properties of the eardrum in situ. For the pressurization-based method, an accuracy in excess of 90% is achieved when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is 2 or greater, while an SNR of 200 or greater is required for the indentation-based method. The indentation-based method was applied to the rat eardrum for which measurements were available, yielding average values of Ex =23.39 ± 1.55 MPa, Ey = 58.67 ± 4.16 MPa, and Gxy = 35.56 ± 3.29 MPa.

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