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Bioengineering
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Engineering of Ears
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Engineering of Ears

A special issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354). This special issue belongs to the section "Regenerative Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2024) | Viewed by 3096

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chenkai Dai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
Interests: medical device in hearing and balancing mechanics in aging; disorder ear computational modeling of ear testing and 3D printing medical material

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The human ear comprises two remarkable systems—the auditory system and the vestibular system. The auditory system is a marvel of engineering, intricately designed to perceive sound waves and convert them into meaningful information. On the other hand, the vestibular system is a delicate electro-mechanical wonder, responsible for capturing posture information, transferring it to the brain, and receiving feedback to maintain body balance. The Engineering of Ears is an emerging interdisciplinary field that aims to understand the physiology, mechanics, and signal processing of both the auditory and vestibular systems. This Special Issue seeks to showcase groundbreaking research that advances our comprehension of the complexities of the ear and offers innovative solutions to challenges related to audition and balance.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

    Bio-inspired hearing technologies and devices;

    Cochlear implants and vestibular prostheses;

    Novel signal processing algorithms for hearing/balancing devices;

    Modeling and simulation of auditory/vestibular system mechanics;

    Biomechanics of the middle and inner ear;

    Advances in auditory/vestibular neurophysiology and neuroengineering;

    Hearing loss prevention and rehabilitation;

    Acoustic sensors and MEMS-based auditory devices;

    Regeneration and tissue engineering for auditory restoration;

    Machine learning applications in audiology.

Dr. Chenkai Dai
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Bioengineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2304 KiB  
Article
A Virtual Inner Ear Model Selects Ramped Pulse Shapes for Vestibular Afferent Stimulation
by Joseph Chen, Jayden Sprigg, Nicholas Castle, Cayman Matson, Abderrahmane Hedjoudje and Chenkai Dai
Bioengineering 2023, 10(12), 1436; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10121436 - 18 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1175
Abstract
Bilateral vestibular deficiency (BVD) results in chronic dizziness, blurry vision when moving the head, and postural instability. Vestibular prostheses (VPs) show promise as a treatment, but the VP-restored vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain in human trials falls short of expectations. We hypothesize that the [...] Read more.
Bilateral vestibular deficiency (BVD) results in chronic dizziness, blurry vision when moving the head, and postural instability. Vestibular prostheses (VPs) show promise as a treatment, but the VP-restored vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain in human trials falls short of expectations. We hypothesize that the slope of the rising ramp in stimulation pulses plays an important role in the recruitment of vestibular afferent units. To test this hypothesis, we utilized customized programming to generate ramped pulses with different slopes, testing their efficacy in inducing electrically evoked compound action potentials (eCAPs) and current spread via bench tests and simulations in a virtual inner model created in this study. The results confirmed that the slope of the ramping pulses influenced the recruitment of vestibular afferent units. Subsequently, an optimized stimulation pulse train was identified using model simulations, exhibiting improved modulation of vestibular afferent activity. This optimized slope not only reduced the excitation spread within the semicircular canals (SCCs) but also expanded the neural dynamic range. While the model simulations exhibited promising results, in vitro and in vivo experiments are warranted to validate the findings of this study in future investigations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engineering of Ears)
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13 pages, 2667 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Traditional Impression and 3D Ear Scanning Techniques, Earmold Comfort, and Audiology Clinical Implications: A Pilot Study
by Yunfang Zheng, Karlina Didion and Nicole Ferguson
Bioengineering 2023, 10(12), 1431; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10121431 - 16 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1631
Abstract
This study investigated clinical aspects of the traditional ear impression and 3D ear scanning techniques. Adult earmold-users and non-users participated in this study. The earmold-users also participated in the earmold comfort comparison study by wearing earmolds from both techniques, one set a week [...] Read more.
This study investigated clinical aspects of the traditional ear impression and 3D ear scanning techniques. Adult earmold-users and non-users participated in this study. The earmold-users also participated in the earmold comfort comparison study by wearing earmolds from both techniques, one set a week according to a randomized sequence. Multiple clinical aspects of both techniques according to the participants and audiology professionals were recorded. Results revealed a preference for the 3D-scanning technique, which was perceived as more comfortable although both techniques were perceived as safe. Although the earmolds might have issues from both techniques, there was no significant difference in the perception of earmolds. Experience with the specific technique can affect the responses from the professionals. Compared to the traditional technique, 3D-scans had higher fixed but less variable costs and procedure times. A special clinical case was included and indicated that 3D-scans could be an option for specific patients. This study led to a better understanding of the two techniques clinically. With increasing involvement of new technology and more young professionals joining the profession of audiology, 3D ear scanning could be a viable consideration for audiology practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engineering of Ears)
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