03/28/2023
By Sarah Kamal

The Francis College of Engineering Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering invites you to attend a Master’s thesis defense by Sarah Kamal on “Modeling the Fluid Flow through the Semi-Circular Canals of the Vestibular Systems."

Candidate Name: Sarah Kamal
Degree: Master’s
Defense Date: Friday, April 10, 2023
Time: 5 to 6 p.m.
Location: Falmouth 203, North Campus

Thesis Title: Modeling the Fluid Flow through the Semi-Circular Canals of the Vestibular Systems

Committee:

  • Advisor Charles Thompson, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Kavitha Chandra, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Max Denis, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of District of Columbia

Brief Abstract:
In this work we present a model for fluid motion in the semicircular canals of the vestibular system. The vestibular system consists of the semicircular canals and the otolith organs. The semicircular canals are tubes containing viscous fluid endolymph and is connected to sense receptor ampulla. The semicircular canals are treated as rigid curved tubes and the toroidal geometry of the semicircular canals are analyzed. The objective is to measure the time dependence of the motion of the ampulla as frequency is varied. The technical approach utilizes a regular perturbation in terms of the curvature parameter ε where, ε is the ratio of the radius of curvature (r) and center-line(R) radius of the semicircular canals .