Development of an platform for optimization of reconstructed ossicles and its clinical application to ossicular chain reconstruction

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K21949
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 20:Mechanical dynamics, robotics, and related fields
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Science
• Principal Investigator: Asakura Takumi 東京理科大学, 理工学部機械工学科, 講師 (60778207)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 倉科 佑太 東京工業大学, 物質理工学院, 助教 (40801535) ; 栗原 渉 東京慈恵会医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (90826926)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 耳小骨連載 / 伝音特性 / 耳小骨再建 / 有限要素法 / 振動音響連成解析 / 加振実験

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Reconstructive surgery of the ossicular chain system is used to restore hearing in patients with diseases that cause air-bone conduction, such as otitis media with pearl ossicles and ossicular chaindiscontinuation. However, some cases of tympanoplasty have poor postoperative hearing outcomes. Although there have been many reports on the sound transmission characteristics of the healthy human middle ear, there have not been many studies on the sound transmission characteristics of the middle ear reconstructed by ossicular reconstruction surgery, and it is necessary to obtain knowledge for successful surgery of ossicular chain reconstruction. In this study, the sound propagation characteristics of a healthy human middle ear and a reconstructed middle ear using discrete and experimental methods were compared and verified.

Free Research Field

振動音響工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

伝音難聴は，患者のQOL低下を引き起こす．伝音難聴の手術治療として、破壊された耳小骨連鎖を人工的に再構築し，鼓膜から内耳への伝音を円滑にする目的で，耳小骨再建が行われるが，耳小骨の破壊の程度によっては聴力回復が困難な場合がある．特に，内耳に直接接続するアブミ骨が破壊されている場合には，処置が有効に機能しない場合がみられる．このような場合，振動音響工学の観点から，外耳から鼓膜，中耳における耳小骨連鎖，アブミ骨底版までの伝達特性を解析し，この特性に関する最適化設計を行うことが可能であり，これにより設計された再建耳小骨を利用することによる聴力回復が実現できれば，難聴患者の大きなQOL向上につながる．