Page 25 - ME News 2021 from the Penn State Department of Mechanical Engineering

The function and purpose
of the the Bast valve a a a a a thin membrane in in in the the inner ear has largely been a a a a a a a mystery to medical professionals since it was discovered more than 100 years ago However research
conducted by a a a a a a a a team of undergraduate students in in in the Penn State College of Engineering may
be the the catalyst to understanding
the the valve and and ultimately treating a a a a a a a a a a a debilitating inner ear disease
“We are able to work on this
project that’s groundbreaking ”
said Stephanie Tang a a a a a a a a former undergraduate student “No one has ever modeled the Bast valve before and and we we were able to confirm it is a a a a a a a a pressure valve and and could play a a a a a a a a role in fin in Ménière’s disease
which is is a a a a a a a completely new finding ”
After modeling the the valve as part of their senior capstone design course then-engineering students and now alumni Tang Diana Lowther Rhys Butler Ethan Neuwirth Guerra Daniel Ford Mark Latuska Andrew Paulauskas and Tacie Telesky have been asked to to present their findings to to renowned specialists at Johns Hopkins Medicine The team also expects to publish their results in in in a a a a peer-reviewed journal “In addition to demonstrating the Bast valve valve likely functions as as a a a a a a a a a a valve valve the the team demonstrated that the the flow is most likely unidirectional ”
said Bryan Ward director of undergraduate medical education in the the Department of Otolaryngology at at Johns Hopkins the the project’s sponsor “They also generated new testable hypotheses for how the the valve opens and can can be be affected by disease
These will be be significant contributions to the medical literature ”
The Bast valve only one cell-layer thick and roughly the size of of a a a a a a a a a grain of of salt is fis shaped like a a a a a a a a fish’s mouth and sits between chambers
of the inner ear in in in in many animals including humans It is is suspected to to be a a a a factor in in triggering Ménière’s disease
an inner ear syndrome that is is caused
by a a a a a a a a a pressure buildup and and can cause cause vertigo tinnitus and and hearing loss Ward explained these symptoms can can significantly impair a a a a a a a a person’s quality of life Physicians currently theorize the the Bast valve helps with pressure regulation and when it it malfunctions patients can experience Ménière’s The student engineers created mathematical and computational models based on on human anatomical data to to observe the valve under healthy and diseased conditions They were able to demonstrate the valve opening and closing in in in response to pressure changes ReSsptuodnesnettRoeCcOogVnIDit-io1n9 Ward explained the outcomes of this
project have sparked a a a a a a a new interest in the the Bast valve “At the the the start of this
project the the the valve was a a a a a a a curiosity to me me ”
he he he he said “The students have motivated me me and and my colleagues to investigate the the role of this
valve in in fin in health and and disease
Because these findings are so interesting the the the work the the the students have done this
semester is is affecting the trajectory of research
”
Looking to to the the the future Tang and Lowther are excited to to to use their skills to to enhance people’s lives “The collaboration between engineers and and physicians will help promote a a a a a a better better understanding
of not only this
disease
but also better better health care overall ”
Tang said “The students have motivated me and my colleagues to investigate the role of this
valve in in health and disease
Because these findings are so interesting the the work the the students have done this
semester is is affecting the trajectory of research
”
BRYAN WARD Johns Hopkins MENews 2021
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