Mechanical characterization of the human auricle for earable device design

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Medical Device Design
• Human Anatomy

Background:

• The mechanical properties of the human auricle are not well understood.
• Accurate characterization is needed for developing effective wearable ear devices (earables).

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the mechanical behavior of human auricles.
• To develop experimental and computational tools for simulating auricle mechanics.
• To inform the design of earable devices.

Main Methods:

• Constructed a realistic phantom auricle model for mechanical testing.
• Developed a methodology for testing human auricle mechanical response.
• Conducted volunteer studies involving static and dynamic loading tests.
• Developed and validated a finite element computational model.

Main Results:

• Static loading: 0.09 N to 0.15 N force for 25% width displacement.
• Dynamic loading: Natural frequency ranged from 13 Hz to 27 Hz.
• Finite element model accurately simulated measured human auricle data.

Conclusions:

• Established a methodology and tools for studying human auricle mechanics.
• Quantified key mechanical properties of the human auricle.
• Provided a validated computational model for earable device design and simulation.