HIGH-SPEED DIGITAL VIDEOIMAGING OF FAST EARDRUM MOTIONS DURING VALSALVA MANEUVER

Digital high-speed camera systems are used to record high-frequency vi deoclips. After adapting this technology to the analysis of eardrum mo tions, fast motions of the eardrum can be recorded using an endoscope. Under specific static pressure conditions during the Valsalva maneuve r, recordings of eardrum motions were made. The use of a Kodak Image E ktapro 1000 Motion Analyzer allowed only conventional videosignal proc essing and storage. A new type of data interface made it possible to s ave and process the complete videoclip digitally. Using an image-proce ssing workstation and special mathematical algorithms, three-dimension al computer animations of fast eardrum motions under static pressure c an be generated. In the present study, several animations of fast eard rum movements are described. High-speed digital videoimaging is an ade quate method to describe fast eardrum displacements under static press ure (Valsalva maneuver). It is possible to create visible time-shift i mages of separate eardrum parts during the fast Valsalva maneuver.