Robot teleoperation systems have been limited in their utility due to the need for operator motion, lack of portability and limitation to singular input modalities. In this article, the design and construction of a dual-mode human–machine interface system for robot teleoperation addressing all these issues is presented. The interface is capable of directing robotic devices in response to tongue...

BACKGROUND The availability of cochlear implants (CIs) has led to significant advances in hearing rehabilitation. Indications for implantation have expanded significantly since the technology was introduced, and many more patients today are considered eligible for the device. As indications have become less restrictive, patients with poor but serviceable hearing in at least one ear have been im...

In this paper, a simple piezoelectric floating mass transducer (PFMT) for implantable middle ear hearing devices (IMEHDs) is proposed and its modeling and designing are studied. The transducer which can be implanted in the meddle ear consists of a PMN-PT multi-layered piezoelectric actuator, an elastic material, and a metal case. The proposed transducer has a simple structure and the force gene...

Nowadays, authentication is required for both physical access to buildings and internal computers systems. Biometrics are one of the emerging technologies used protect these highly sensitive structures. However, biometric systems based on a single trait enclose several problems such as noise sensitivity vulnerability spoof attacks. In this regard, we present in paper fully unobtrusive robust mu...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The cochlea has traditionally been considered as the first frequency selection filter in the auditory pathway due to the contraction of its external ciliated cells. Yet, much evidence has emerged from work carried out during experiments with animals, some of which is anatomical (connections between the auditory pathway and motor nuclei of the middle ear muscles) and ...

DNA vaccination appears a very attractive approach for inducing immune responses towards the encoded antigen, but studies in large animals and in humans revealed weaknesses of such responses. In this study, we evaluated a new approach based on a new device combining DNA vaccination with electroporation (EP) at the ear pinna site. Under optimal EP conditions, the expression of the DNA encoded an...

OBJECTIVE This study investigated the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on middle ear pressure and acoustic stapedial reflex and the correlation between CPAP and middle ear pressure. STUDY DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Tertiary hospitals. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Fifty patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome were assigned to the study group, and ...

A common motif in otolaryngology is the lack of certainty regarding diagnosis for middle ear conditions, resulting in many patients being overtreated under the worst-case assumption. Although pneumatic otoscopy and adjunctive tests offer additional information, white light otoscopy has been the main tool for diagnosis of external auditory canal and middle ear pathologies for over a century. In ...

Surgery on the temporal bone is technically challenging due to its complex anatomy. Precise anatomical dissection of the human temporal bone is essential and is fundamental for middle ear surgery. We assessed the possible application of a virtual reality temporal bone surgery simulator to the education of ear surgeons. Seventeen ENT physicians with different levels of surgical training and 20 m...