Explore the potential of bone conduction as a high-frequency alternative to the typical Air conduction (AC) hearing process. High-intensity bone conduction sound in the ultrasonic frequencies above 20 kHz can produce an auditory sensation in humans. Listeners can perceive speech from voice-modulated ultrasonic carrier signals using a head-placed Bone conduction (BC) transducer. In the AC process, airborne acoustic waves enter the outer ear, follow the path through the middle ear, and finally to the sensory organs of hearing. Bone conduction (BC) offers a promising alternative, utilizing direct stimulation of the skull, vibrating the cochlea and its structures. In this presentation, we examine the potential of BC hearing and the dynamic properties that may be used to demodulate the ultrasonic signals and yield a human audible signal.
Thompson et al. (Tue,) studied this question.