Increase in Pressure

Remember that Press. = Force/Area

force is increased 1.3 times
area is decreased 18.6 times

Pressure is increased 24.2 times (27.7 dB)

Other Key Middle Ear Function
□Oval Window Isolation-- Sound striking the
tympanic membrane is delivered through
the ossicular chain to the oval window
□Without the middle ear, both the oval and
round windows would receive sound energy
and energy would cancel out.
Middle Ear Filtering:
□Band Pass filter
□Resonant Frequency near 1kHz
□Effect can be seen in Minimum Audibility
Curve (Figure 10.2)
Minimum Audibility Curve
(Figure 10.2)
□Plot of threshold of detection (in dB SPL)
for tones as a function of frequency.
□Shows:
best hearing around 1 kHz
poorer hearing below 500 Hz
and above 4000 Hz
Tympanometry
Acoustic measures of middle ear health
Made using an immittance (or impedance)
bridge:
PRESSURE PUMP/MANOMETER
MINIATURE SPEAKER
MICROPHONE
ALL CONNECTED THROUGH A SMALL
PROBE INSERTED IN EAR CANAL
Compliance: opposite of stiffness.
□middle ear system is not massive, largely a
stiffness-controlled system.
□Changes in stiffness/compliance have large
effects on functioning of system.
□ at point where air pressure in canal and
middle ear are equal the most sound will be
conducted through.
 Tympanogram:
□A plot of middle ear compliance as a function of
ear canal pressure
□Pressure is swept from +200 to -200 or -400 dPa
□Should see peak at point where pressures are
equal
Tympanogram types:
A: peak between +100 and -200 dPa:
normal
C: peak beyond -200 dPa: neg pressure
B: no peak flat tymp: effusion
As: peak but shallow: stiff: otosclerosis
Ad: peak off scale: floppy: dysarticulation
Tympanogram Types
Type A Tvi>e B

Type A h

400-300 -MB 400 0 + fot 300

The Acoustic Reflex
Stapedius contraction measured as change
in compliance
Reflex arc:
peripheral ear,
VIIIth n.
Cochlear nucleus
superior olivary complex
VIIth n. to the middle ear
Reflex is bilateral.