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In Collaboration with:

Dr. Robert Brey
Department of Otorhinolaryngology

Additional support provided by the Rapid Prototyping Center of 3M


The semicircular canals are fluid-filled chambers of the inner ear that provide us our physical sense of balance. The motion of tiny particles called otoconia within these chambers is believed to be linked to diseases affecting balance, but little is known for certain of their physiologic function.

Large-scale, anatomically accurate physical models of the human semicircular canals have been created using stereolithography techniques. These models will be fitted with pressure transducers and filled with appropriately viscous fluid. Model otoconia can be introduced to the model and subjected to various inertial conditions to observe and measure the motion of the particles.

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File RapidPrototyping.html last modified: Thursday, 12-Jul-2001 15:00:11 CDT
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