• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.8
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• pp.820-825
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• 2005

Purpose : The presence and degree of fever in children is a useful indicator of illness. This project aimed to assess the accuracy and usefulness of infrared tympanic membrane(TM) & forehead feverscan thermometers for measuring children's temperatures. Methods : Data were obtained from 1,050 children with a median age of 4.5 years. They visited the pediatric clinics at Chung-Ang University Yongsan Hospital from January 2004 to December 2004. We measured body temperatures at axilla by mercury thermometer, at ear by infrared TM thermometer and at forehead by feverscan. Then we analyzed the correlation between these data. Results : Mercury and TM thermometer, and Mercury and forehead feverscan thermometer very well correlated with each others(P<0.05). And the sensitivity of infrared TM thermometer(right and left) to correctly identify febrile children was 81.1 percent and 82.4 percent, the positive predictive value to detect a fever was 81.8 percent and 73.6 percent. The sensitivity of forehead feverscan was 83.3 percent and the positive predictive value was 74.4 percent. Conclusion : The tympanic membrane temperature measured by the BRAUN IRT $3020^{(R)}$ and forehead arterial temperature measured by the HubDIC $DOTORY^{(R)}$ feverscan accurately reflects mercury axillary temperature, validly assesses the presence of fever in children, and is easy to use. The Braun IRT $3020^{(R)}$ & HubDIC $DOTORY^{(R)}$ therefore is an adequate tool to assess fever and may be used both in a clinical setting and for research purposes.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.133-141
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• 2017

The hybrid acoustic sensor for implantable hearing aid has the structure in which a sound pressure based acoustic sensor (ECM) and a vibration based acceleration sensor are combined. This sensor combines the low frequency sensitivity of an acoustic sensor with the high frequency sensitivity of an acceleration sensor, allowing the acquisition of a wide range of sound from low to high frequency. In this paper, an acceleration sensor for use in a hybrid acoustic sensor has been proposed. The acceleration sensor captures the vibration of the tympanic membrane generated by the acoustic signal. The size of the proposed acceleration sensor was determined to diameter of 3.2 mm considering the anatomical structure of the tympanic membrane and the standard of ECM. In order to make the hybrid acoustic sensor have high sensitivity and wide bandwidth characteristics, the aim of the resonance frequency of the acceleration sensor is to be generated at about 3.5 kHz. The membrane of the acceleration sensor derives geometric structure through mathematical model and finite element analysis. Based on the analysis results, the membrane was implemented through a chemical etching process. In order to verify the frequency characteristics of the implemented membrane, vibration measurement experiment using external force was performed. The experiment results showed mechanical resonance of the membrane occurred at 3.4 kHz. Therefore, it is considered that the proposed acceleration sensor can be utilized for a hybrid acoustic sensor.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.140-144
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• 2019

Background and Objectives: Inlay butterfly cartilage tympanoplasty makes the graft easy, and reduces operating time. The present study aimed to investigate the outcomes of microscopic versus endoscopic inlay butterfly cartilage tympanoplasty. Subjects and Methods: In this retrospective study, the outcomes of 63 patients who underwent inlay butterfly cartilage tympanoplasty with small to medium chronic tympanic membrane perforation were evaluated. Twenty-four patients underwent conventional microscopic tympanoplasty and 39 underwent endoscopic tympanoplasty. The outcomes were analyzed in terms of the hearing gain and graft success rate. Results: The surgical success rate was 95.8% in the patients who underwent conventional microscopic tympanoplasty and 92.3% in those who underwent endoscopic tympanoplasty. In both groups of patients, the postoperative air-bone gap (ABG) was significantly lower than the preoperative ABG. There were no significant differences between the preoperative and postoperative ABG values in either group. Conclusions: Endoscopic inlay tympanoplasty using the butterfly cartilage technique appears to be an effective alternative to microscopic tympanoplasty and results in excellent hearing.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.140-144
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• 2019

Background and Objectives: Inlay butterfly cartilage tympanoplasty makes the graft easy, and reduces operating time. The present study aimed to investigate the outcomes of microscopic versus endoscopic inlay butterfly cartilage tympanoplasty. Subjects and Methods: In this retrospective study, the outcomes of 63 patients who underwent inlay butterfly cartilage tympanoplasty with small to medium chronic tympanic membrane perforation were evaluated. Twenty-four patients underwent conventional microscopic tympanoplasty and 39 underwent endoscopic tympanoplasty. The outcomes were analyzed in terms of the hearing gain and graft success rate. Results: The surgical success rate was 95.8% in the patients who underwent conventional microscopic tympanoplasty and 92.3% in those who underwent endoscopic tympanoplasty. In both groups of patients, the postoperative air-bone gap (ABG) was significantly lower than the preoperative ABG. There were no significant differences between the preoperative and postoperative ABG values in either group. Conclusions: Endoscopic inlay tympanoplasty using the butterfly cartilage technique appears to be an effective alternative to microscopic tympanoplasty and results in excellent hearing.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.178-184
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• 2014

Key components of implantable hearing aids are consist of an acoustic sensor that collect external sound by suppressing the body noise, a signal processor module for compensation algorithm of hearing loss, and a output transducer which has tiny size but have high efficiency, respectively. In the partial implantable hearing aids, technologies of transducer and signal processor are so matured that can be applied not too much difficulty. However, due to the difficulties in implantable acoustic sensor technology, such as minimization of masticatory sound and damage of sensor's membrane from external impact, practical use of fully implantable hearing aids have not successful so far. In this paper, we have proposed a novel implantable acoustic sensor which has trans-tympanic structure, and is verified that the proposed method can be very useful for fully implantable hearing aids by cadaveric experiments.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.1563-1571
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• 2011

In this study, we developed a finite element model of the human middle ear has been developed to calculate itsfor sound transfer characteristics calculation. We usedThe geometric data forof ossicles, obtained byfrom micro-CT scanning, was used in order to develop the middle- ear FE model. A right- side temporal bone of a Korean cadaver was used for the micro-CT scanning. The developed FE model includes three ossicles, the tympanic membrane, ligaments, and muscles. We calculated theA sound transfer function from the tympanic membrane to the stapes footplate was calculated. The sound transfer function calculated vias of the FE model shows good agreement with measured responses over the 10- kHz frequency band. To measureidentify the sensitivityies of the middle- ear function due to material property variation, we studied several parameters studies have been fulfilled using the middle ear FE model. TAs a result the stiffness property of the incudostapedial joint had the greatest influence onwas the most influential to the middle- ear sound transfer function among the parameters.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.109-117
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• 2024

We developed a device that integrates digital otoscope and stethoscope for telemedicine. The integrated device was utilized for the collection of tympanic membrane images and cardiac auscultation data. Data accumulated on the platform server can support real-time diagnosis of heart and eardrum diseases using artificial intelligence. Public data from Kaggle were used for deep learning. After comparing with various deep learning models, the MobileNetV2 model showed superior performance in analyzing tympanic membrane data, and the VGG16 model excelled in analyzing cardiac data. The classification algorithm achieved an accuracy of 89.9% for eardrums data and 100% for heart sound data. These results demonstrate the possibility of diagnosing diseases without the limitations of time and space by using this platform.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2009

Generally, implantable microphone has been implanted in the temporal bone for implantable middle ear hearing devices (IMEHDs). In this case, the microphone's membrane can be damaged and can be generated biological noise. In order to overcome the these problems, the location of implanted microphone should be changed. As an alternative, the microphone can be implanted in the external auditory canal. However, the sound emission can be produced because of vibration transducer toward reverse direction from the tympanic membrane to the external auditory canal. In this paper, an amount of the emitted sound is measured using a probe microphone as the changing the position of microphone in the external auditory canal of a physical ear model, which is similar to acoustical and vibratory properties of the human ear. Through the measured value, the location of the microphone was assumed in the external auditory canal. According to the analysis, the microphone input sound can be decreased when microphone position become more distance from the tympanic membrane in the auditory canal. However, the external auditory canal is not appropriated to implantable microphone position, because sound emission is not completely eliminated.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1981.05a
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• pp.37.2-38
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• 1981

Recently the efficacy of all ear drops in perforated tympanic membranes has been questioned and the safety of using the drugs intratympanically has been challanged. Many drugs not normally ototoxic when given systemically become ototoxic when administered via the middle ear. According to Stupp and others (1973) among neomycin, polymyxin-G, gentamycin, erythr omycin, tetracycline and penicillin, only penicillin was found to be free of toxic effects. The ototoxic antibiotics probably reach the inner ear by permeating the round window membrane, into the perilymph and then through Reissner's membrane to the endolymph. The main pathological changes are degeneration of stria vascularis, degeneration of sensory epithelia and degeneration of ganglion cells. We report with reference, a case of profound sensorineural deafness following the application of Terramycin powder intratympanically, in a 63 year old woman.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.193-198
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• 2022

Contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging using gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) is a very useful in vivo technique to visualize the inner ear pathology including endolymphatic hydrops. Although systemic intravenous (IV) administration can visualize the perilymph space, the visualization was possible by indirect passage of contrast agent through blood-perilymph barrier. All animal experimental procedures were performed under anesthesia with 5% isoflurane. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was instilled into the left tympanic cavity through the tympanic membrane using a sterile 27gauge needle to induce hydrops model. Tucker-Davis Technologies system was used to measure Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABRs). For intracerebroven-tricular (ICV) administration, 25 µmol of GADOVIST (Bayer, Berlin, Germany) was used and diluted GADOVIST injection was 10 µl. MR imaging was acquired with a 9.4 Tesla MRI scanner. Transmit-receive volume coil with 40 mm inner diameter and 75 mm out diameter was used. ICV administration well demonstrated the strong enhancement along the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) microcirculation pathway including CSF fluid in the subarachnoid space and CSF space of the inner ear structures. On the other hand, IV administration showed no contrast enhancement along the CSF microcirculation pathway and showed weak enhancement in the inner ear structures. In case of rat hydrops model, ICV administration showed that the reduced contrast enhancement in the perilymph space of the hydrops induced inner ear compared to the contrast enhancement in the perilymph space of the normal inner ear. New systemic ICV administration method provide contrast enhancement of GBCA in the inner ear through CSF microcirculation pathway.