Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026

Measurement of Strial Blood Flow in Mouse Cochlea Utilizing an Open Vessel-Window and Intravital Fluorescence Microscopy
Published on: September 21, 2021
Effect of basilar membrane radial velocity profile on fluid coupling in the cochlea
Guangjian Ni1, Stephen J Elliott
1Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom. G.Ni@soton.ac.uk
Abstract:
The effects of different radial distributions of basilar membrane velocity on the fluid coupling in the cochlea are studied. Different mode shapes across the width of the basilar membrane, modeled as a beam, are simulated by assuming various boundary conditions. The results suggest that the fluid coupling is insensitive to the resulting differences in mode shape. This validates the assumption commonly made in cochlear models that the fluid coupling can be reasonably well predicted by assuming a single modal shape across the basilar membrane width, even if the exact form of the radial profile is not known.
Related Concept Videos
The Cochlea
Anatomy of the Ear
Deriving the Speed of Sound in a Liquid
The speed of sound in fluids can be derived by considering a mechanical wave propagating...
Hair Cells
Couette Flow
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...

