Study the biomechanical performance of the membranous semicircular canal based on bionic models

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Biomechanics
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• The human semicircular canal (SCC) is crucial for sensing rotational head movements.
• Understanding the biomechanics of the SCC is essential for developing advanced vestibular prosthetics and diagnostic tools.
• Existing models often simplify the complex fluid-structure interactions within the SCC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a bionic ampulla (BA) and bionic semicircular canals (BSCCs) that mimic the function of human vestibular organs.
• To investigate the sensing capabilities of a novel Symmetric electrodes Metal core PVDF Fiber (SMPF) sensor in detecting cupula deformation.
• To establish and validate biomechanical models for bionic semicircular canals with (MBSC) and without (NBSC) a membrane, correlating their output to angular velocity and acceleration.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a BA using an SMPF sensor designed to imitate sensory hair cells.
• Construction of two types of BSCCs: MBSC (with membrane) and NBSC (without membrane).
• Development of biomechanical models for both MBSC and NBSC, followed by experimental validation using perception experiments.

Main Results:

• The SMPF sensor successfully detected the deformation of the bionic cupula.
• Both MBSC and NBSC demonstrated the ability to sense angular velocity and accelerations.
• Experimental results validated the established biomechanical models for the BSCCs.

Conclusions:

• The developed SMPF sensor and bionic semicircular canal systems are effective in mimicking the sensory functions of the human vestibular system.
• The study provides evidence that the endolymph acts as a liquid mass and the membranous SCC and cupula function as a spring in vivo.
• These findings contribute to the understanding of vestibular biomechanics and the development of novel vestibular prostheses.