Implementation of a nonlinear wave-digital-filter cochlear model

For investigation of the effects of inner-ear nonlinearity on perception of speech, a computationally efficient cochlear model based on an explicit representation of the mechanics of wave propagation on the basilar membrane is required. Wave digital filters give a realization which is directly equivalent to a linear analog network, into which the nonlinearity can be incorporated in a manner consistent with the formalism. A model based on local cochlear micromechanics with two degrees of freedom is presented. It yields typical responses very close to physiological tuning curves and allows over 40 dB of variation in peak sensitivity under control of a single nonlinear resistive element. The results show that, with plausible assumptions, the model can potentially replicate some essential nonlinear behavior of the ear