The effect of tympanic membrane opening on middle ear pressure:an in vitro model of patulous eustachian tube
10.3969/j.issn.1006-7299.2025.06.006
- VernacularTitle:鼓膜开放对咽鼓管异常开放中耳压力影响的体外模型研究
- Author:
Haoze ZHANG
1
;
Fangyuan WANG
;
Xiaolong LI
;
Mengyuan GUO
;
Zhenhao FU
;
Jingcheng ZHOU
;
Yulin DING
;
Zhaohui HOU
Author Information
1. 华南理工大学医学院(广州 510006);中国人民解放军总医院第六医学中心耳鼻咽喉头颈外科医学部听觉与平衡觉全国重点实验室国家耳鼻咽喉疾病临床医学研究中心聋病教育部重点实验室聋病防治北京市重点实验室(北京 100853)
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Patulous eustachian tube(PET);
Tympanostomy tube insertion;
Eustachian tube;
3D printing
- From:
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology
2025;33(6):538-543
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To study the impact of tympanic membrane opening on respiratory-driven middle ear pressure in patients with patulous eustachian tube(PET),using a simplified in vitro model.Methods CT imaging data from a PET patient(with full-length eustachian tube opening observed during a Valsalva maneuver followed by breath-holding)were used to design a simplified eustachian tube model.Two simplified in vitro models of the eusta-chian tube were constructed using silicone-based 3D printing technology and connected to a pressure controller and pressure sensors.The pressure controller was activated to introduce negative-pressure airflow into the nasopharyn-geal model to simulate respiratory-induced middle ear pressure fluctuations.A hemostat was used to alternately open and close the external interface of the middle ear chamber,simulating conditions of an open and intact tympanic membrane,while middle ear pressure was continuously monitored using pressure sensors.Results In the first mod-el,with-800 mbar negative pressure applied at the nasopharynx,the middle ear pressure stabilized between-3.9 mbar and-4.3 mbar with tympanic membrane opening,and between-7.9 mbar and-8.2 mbar with intact tym-panic membrane.In the second model,under the same pressure setting,middle ear pressure stabilized between-2.7 mbar and-3.1 mbar with tympanic membrane opening,and between-5.0 mbar and-7.7 mbar with intact tympanic membrane.Conclusion This study,based on a simplified in vitro model,demonstrates that tympanic membrane opening can effectively reduce respiratory-driven pressure in the middle ear.This phenomenon may partly explain the clinical efficacy of tympanostomy tube insertion in certain PET patients.
