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Abstract
The middle-ear pressure gain, defined as the ear canal sound pressure to cochlear
vestibule pressure gain, GME, and the ear canal sound pressure to stapes footplate
velocity transfer function, SVTF, simultaneously measured in 12 fresh human temporal
bones for the 0.05 to 10 kHz frequency range are reported. The mean GME magnitude
reached 23.5 dB at 1.2 kHz with a slope of approximately 6 dB/octave from 0.1 to 1.2
kHz and -6 dB/octave above 1.2 kHz. From 0.1 to 0.5 kHz, the mean GME phase angle
was 51 degrees, rolling off at -78 degrees /octave above this frequency. The mean
SVTF magnitude reached a maximum of 0.33 mm s(-1)/Pa at 1.0 kHz with nearly the same
shape in magnitude and phase angle as the mean GME. The ratio of GME and SVTF provide
the first direct measurements of Z(c) in human ears. The mean Z(c) was virtually flat
with a value of 21.1 acoustic GOmega MKS between 0.1 and 5.0 kHz. Above 5 kHz, the
mean Z(c) increased to a maximum value of 49.9 GOmega at 6.7 kHz. The mean Z(c) angle
was near 0 degrees from 0.5 to 5.0 kHz, decreasing below 0.5 kHz and above 5 kHz with
peaks and valleys.