Numerical modeling the motion of otoconia particles in the semicircular canal under whole body vibration

Abstract

Vibrations of the human body are a multisciplined field that includes knowledge and other disciplines, such as: ergonomics, engineering, mathematics, medicine and others. Exposure to whole body vibrations reduces the comfort of passengers in the vehicles, causing stress, fatigue and discomfort. Vibrations can affect the lumbar spine, the gastrointestinal system, the peripheral veins and the vestibular system. The semicircular canals, as a part of vestibular system, are responsible for sensing angular head motion in three-dimensional space and for providing neural inputs to the central nervous system. In this study, one male subject was exposed to root-mean square WBV acceleration levels of 0.7 m/s2 and 1.1 m/s2 at the frequencies of 0.5–20 Hz while seated on an electro hydraulic vibration simulator with multi-axial excitation. The movements recorded on the head of the examinee were transferred to a 3D model as input data. In this research, a numerical model is presented that enables the analysis of motion of multiple otoconia particles within the labyrinth and the change of cupular displacement due to this motion.