Abstract
Finite Element modeling has been an extended methodology to build numeri-
cal model to simulate the behavior of the hearing system. Due to the complex-
ity of the system and the difficulties to reduce the uncertainties of the
geometric data, they result in computationally expensive models, sometimes
generic, representative of average geometries. It makes it difficult to validate
the model with direct experimental data from the same specimen or to estab-
lish a patient-oriented modeling strategy. In the present paper, a first attempt
to automatize the process of model building is made. The source information
is geometrical information obtained from CT of the different elements that
compose the system. Importing that data, we have designed the complete pro-
cedure to build a model including tympanic membrane, ossicular chain and
cavities. The methodology includes the proper coupling of all the elements and
the generation of the corresponding finite element model. The whole auto-
matic procedure is not complete, as we need to make some human-assisted
decisions; however, the model development time is reduced from 4 weeks to
approximately 3 days. The goal of the modeling algorithm is to build a Finite
Element Model with a limited computational cost. Several tasks as contour
identification or model decimation are designed and integrated in order to fol-
low a semi-automated process that allows generating a patient-oriented model.
