title: Design, analysis and simulation for development of the first clinical micro-CT scanner.
abstract: In this article, we propose to develop the first clinical micro-CT (CMCT) system for human temporal bone imaging in vivo. This CMCT system consists of medical CT and micro-CT scanners either as separate components or in a combination, a cross-modality registration mechanism such as a facial surface scanner, and associated software. This system integrates the strengths of state-of-the-art medical CT and micro-CT techniques to achieve a spatial resolution that is much higher than currently available for inner ear imaging at acceptable dose levels. Our design, analysis, and simulation results demonstrate that the CMCT system is feasible for inner ear imaging and other clinical applications. For example, the CMCT system has the potential to improve the safety of guiding cochlear implant electrodes within the inner ear and assist the placement of inner ear microcatheters for delivery of gene modification therapy or administration of neurotrophic factors. Imaging of microarchitectures of the cancellous bone would be also an important application.
authors.affiliation: CT/Micro-CT Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. ge-wang@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shiying
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hengyong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: Bruce J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Gantz
authors.forename: Seung Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jay T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Rubinstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004867:Equipment Design; D004869:Equipment Safety / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011859:Radiography; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015898:Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed / Q000592:standards*