Study on Attenuation Characteristics of Reissner’s Membrane Mode in Cochlea

Multiple propagation modes progress along the basilar membrane and Reissner’s membrane, called basilar membrane mode (BM mode) and Reissner’s membrane mode (RM mode), respectively. This study focuses on the effects of the RM mode on the hearing process and investigates the difference in the attenuation characteristics between the RM and BM modes in the vicinity of the cochlea base by using modal analysis. Results indicated that the RM mode has fewer effects on the hearing process, except otoacoustic emissions, due to its bigger attenuation constant than the BM mode in the vicinity of the cochlea base. The structural dependency of the attenuation constant of the RM mode is also investigated.