Development and analysis of three-dimensional (3D) printed biomimetic ceramic ossicles (vol 17, pg 1711, 2016)

Abstract

Many finite element (FE) models have been designed based on geometric information from computed tomography (CT) data, and validated via comparison with experimental results for human cadaver ossicular bones. Here, we describe a novel method for developing and analyzing the biomimetic ceramic ossicles (BCO) in combination with 3D printing technology, and we establish an FE model of the BCO for analyzing vibration peiformance. Novel biomimetic ceramic ossicles (BCO) made of hydroxyapatite (HA) were fabricated using 3D printing technology, and their vibration properties were measured. We created a 3D model of the BCO using computer-aided design, which corresponds to the ossicular structure and geometry, and created an FE model of the human ossicles via a comparison of experimental and simulated vibrations to investigate the characteristics of the ossicular chain. The FE model was established based on the displacements of the malleus, incus, and stapes, which was analyzed using an externally applied vibrational force.