Hydromechanical Structure of the Cochlea Supports the Backward Traveling Wave in the Cochlea In Vivo

Figure 5

Vibration responses of a mechanical model of the cochlea. (a) Schematic view of the artificial BM. The length of the copper beam varies from 4 mm at the base (narrower) to 8 mm at the apex (wider). A total of 32 beams are placed on a membrane. The distance between beam #1 and #32 is about 20 mm. (b) BM vibration of the model while it was driven at the base, the narrowest, and thus the stiffest end. The driver was placed on the membrane right next to beam #1 at the base. Note that the scale of -axis decreases from the top to the bottom, showing that the vibration amplitude was attenuated during the propagation. (c) BM vibration while it was driven at the apex. The driver was placed on the membrane at beam #29, close to the apex.

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