Mechanical Aspects of the Round Window Stimulation

During the last years, the round window (RW) has become a well established application position for active middle ear implants1. The coupling condition between actuator and round window membrane (RWM) is the critical point regarding the lasting function of the reconstruction. A preload force is needed to maintain sound transmission dealing with an unilateral contact. In this work, the RW stimulation is examined from the mechanical point of view. Based on laboratory experiments and computational simulations, the effects of parameter variations on the dynamical behaviour of the reconstructed ear are revealed in sensitivity analyses and case studies.