Biomechanical modeling of semicircular canals for fabricating a biomimetic vestibular system

This paper presents a biomechanical model of the semicircular canals of the human vestibular system and the design of a 3D biomimetic structure that mimics the biological system. Starting from anatomical and physiological data, mechanical and structural parameters have been identified and a mathematical model has been formulated, by considering the semicircular organ as a canal filled by a liquid. The mathematical and mechanical models were used to simulate the behavior of the semicircular canals under known conditions of angular velocity and acceleration along three axes. Furthermore, the membrane inside the semicircular canals was simulated to understand what the mechanical properties of the membrane are and if polymeric materials can reproduce the mechanical characteristics of the biological organ. The results obtained from the model allow to design a biomimetic organ, as a part of a biomimetic vestibular system, by following this biomechatronic approach.