# Advanced Methodology for Damping Characterization of the Human Tympanic Membrane Using High-Speed Digital Holographic and STFT Analysis

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method to measure how the human eardrum absorbs sound vibrations at different frequencies using advanced imaging and analysis techniques.

## Contribution

A novel experimental framework for frequency-dependent damping estimation in the tympanic membrane using high-speed holography and STFT analysis.

## Key findings

- Damping in the tympanic membrane varies with frequency and spatial location.
- The methodology successfully isolates free-vibration decay in complex systems with overlapping modes.
- Ossicular chain loading significantly influences damping characteristics.

## Abstract

This study presents an experimental methodology for estimating frequency-dependent damping in the human tympanic membrane (TM) using full-field time-domain holographic measurements and Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) analysis. Although damping plays a critical role in middle-ear mechanics, its experimental estimation remains challenging, with reported values exhibiting substantial variability. A high-speed digital holography (HDH) system is employed to capture transient displacement fields of the TM surface from cadaveric human temporal bones subjected to acoustic click excitation. The proposed methodology enables the analysis of damping as a function of frequency by isolating free-vibration decay in the time–frequency domain, overcoming limitations of conventional time-domain techniques in systems with multiple overlapping modes. The results reveal a clear frequency dependence of effective system-level damping and its spatial variation across the membrane, as well as the influence of ossicular chain loading. This approach offers a practical framework for extracting damping information from HDH experiments. The methodology provides robust damping values relevant for improving the calibration and validation of finite element models of middle-ear mechanics.