Abstract
After almost a century of modern research, the details of the mechanical excitation of the inner ear remain controversial (e.g. [1]). The main reason is the inaccessibility of this intricate biomechanical apparatus to obtain in-vivo experimental data from fully sensitive specimen. Computational modelling has therefore been historically an integral part of this research field (reviewed in [2]). Recent technological developments allow the reliable mechanical characterization of the micro-scale structures within the hearing organ (e.g. [3]). The project will combine finite-element modelling (e.g. [4], [5]) of the cochlear vibrations with experimental measurements of missing parameter values from fresh cochlear tissue.
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