Welcome to the Ear Research Center Dresden

The Ear Research Center Dresden (ERCD) is an interdisciplinary lab of engineers, scientists and physicians at the Clinic and Policlinic of ORL-HNS (Technische Universitaet Dresden, Faculty of Medicine) who are engaged in research of middle ear mechanics and development of therapeutic strategies for hearing impaired patients. Nearly three decades ago, our scientists were among the first to use laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) measurements and finite element modeling (FEM) to investigate the normal and diseased middle ear. One of the most distinguished conferences in the field, the International Symposium on Middle Ear Mechanics in Research and Otology (MEMRO) was initiated and first held here. To this day, long-lasting and close cooperation between experienced surgeons and specialized engineers is the foundation of our endeavors. This interdisciplinary work has enabled us to continuously make valuable scientific contributions to both basic and applied research.

 Our research priorities are:

• Sound transfer in the normal and diseased middle ear
• Development of prosthetic devices for ossicular reconstruction
• Development and evaluation of active middle ear implants
• Development and evaluation of devices for medical diagnostics and therapy (Monitoring systems for quality control and real-time feedback in middle ear surgery; Middle ear diagnostics with OCT)
• Regenerative medicine in middle ear diseases
• Language development in cochlear implanted (CI) children
• Language comprehension in adult CI-users
• Auditory perception and cognitive processing of musical stimuli in CI users

Methods used are:

• Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV)
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
• Finite Element modelling (FEM)
• Force measurements
• Clinical evaluation
• Animal models for middle ear diseases and bone regeneration
• Event-related brain potentials (ERPs)
• Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)
• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

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