Literature:

1. A computational Model of the Cochlea Using the Immersed Boundary Method (1992)
2. A Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Model of the Cochlea (2003)
3. An Immersed Boundary Model of the Cochlea with Parametric Forcing (2015)

4. Textbook of Medical Physiology (Guyton, 2006)

5. Quantitative Human Physiology (Feher, 2012)
6. Mathematical Physiology: II: Systems Physiology (Keener, 2013)
7. From sound to synapse : physiology of the mammalian ear (Geisler, 1998)

8. Slides of Introduction to Hilbert Huang Transform (, 2007)

9. A review on Hilbert-Huang transform: Method and its applications to geophysical studies (Huang, 2008)
10. The Hilbert-Huang Transform: theory, applications, development (Barnhart, 2011)

11. Slides of Introduction to the Immersed Boundary Method (Lai, 2010)

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Cochlear mechanics 1/2

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Cochlear mechanics 2/2

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Mathematical Interest:
1. Place principle (the traveling wave paradox, frequency selectivity): tone of different frequency is picked up at
specific location along the Basilar Membrane.
2. Amplification (extreme sensitivity): why can we hear whispers? (passive/active)
3. 3D geometric modeling of the cochlea

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A computational Model of the Cochlea Using the Immersed Boundary Method (1992) 1/2

A two-dimensional computational model of the passive cochlea.

The cochlea is a flat rectangular strip divided into two equal halves by a flexible line which represents the BM
whose stiffness decreases exponentially along its length ( S0 e x ).
The stapes is represented by a moving piston. A travelling wave propagates along the flexible BM under the
influence of the moving piston. The dependence of this wave on BM stiffness is studied.

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A computational Model of the Cochlea Using the Immersed Boundary Method (1992) 2/2

The fluid is modeled by the full incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with viscosity terms (periodic
boundary, uniform grid, finite difference, FFT, etc.).
Used a modification of Peskins immersed boundary method for both BM and the surrounding bony walls.
Also compared different methods: fully implicit, semi implicit, and asymptotic.

Applying a pure tone input of a given frequency at the stapes ( u a0 a1 sin t along the correspondent

boundary) and studying the subsequent motion of the basilar membrane. Numerical results of 4 different
tones are given, i.e. 31.25 Hz, 62.5 Hz, 125 Hz, 250 Hz.
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A Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Model of the Cochlea (2003)

A 3D computational model of the passive cochlea.

Emphasize on the software implementation and optimization with parallel servers.
The cochlea model makes an essential use of the immersed boundary method for elastic shells.
Used a first-order Peskins immersed boundary method (without modification?).
The viscous incompressible fluid is described by the Navier-Stokes equations as above.
Applying a pure tone input of a given frequency at the stapes and studying the subsequent motion of the
basilar membrane. Results of 4 different tones are given, i.e. 15 kHz, 10kHz, 5kHz, 2 kHz.

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An Immersed Boundary Model of the Cochlea with Parametric Forcing (2015)

Mechanical amplification: the outer hair cells within the cochlear partition change their lengths when
stimulated, which can in turn cause periodic distortions of the BM and other structures.
Resonance amplification: a small-amplitude periodic internal forcing due to outer hair cells can induce
parametric resonance of the BM.
Internal forcing in the basilar membrane due to sound stimulation can engender parametric resonance in an
IB model of the cochlea.
The elastic stiffness parameter is a function of time and space given by
An internally-forced membrane can generate travelling wave solutions that are similar to solutions obtained
from other models that impose an external forcing.
The wave envelope is determined by computing the absolute value of a complex-valued function whose real
part is the BM profile and the imaginary part is its Hilbert transform.
A Floquet stability analysis was then used to demonstrate the existence of resonant solutions in the
linearized IB equations.

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