title: Micro-CT versus synchrotron radiation phase contrast imaging of human cochlea.
abstract: High-resolution images of the cochlea are used to develop atlases to extract anatomical features from low-resolution clinical computed tomography (CT) images. We compare visualization and contrast of conventional absorption-based micro-CT to synchrotron radiation phase contrast imaging (SR-PCI) images of whole unstained, nondecalcified human cochleae. Three cadaveric cochleae were imaged using SR-PCI and micro-CT. Images were visually compared and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) were computed from n = 27 regions-of-interest (enclosing soft tissue) for quantitative comparisons. Three-dimensional (3D) models of cochlear internal structures were constructed from SR-PCI images using a semiautomatic segmentation method. SR-PCI images provided superior visualization of soft tissue microstructures over conventional micro-CT images. CNR improved from 7.5 ± 2.5 in micro-CT images to 18.0 ± 4.3 in SR-PCI images (p < 0.0001). The semiautomatic segmentations yielded accurate reconstructions of 3D models of the intracochlear anatomy. The improved visualization, contrast and modelling achieved using SR-PCI images are very promising for developing atlas-based segmentation methods for postoperative evaluation of cochlear implant surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elfarnawany
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: S Riyahi
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rohani
authors.affiliation: Bio-Medical Imaging and Therapy Facility, Canadian Light Source Inc., University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.|Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.|Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Ladak
mesh_terms: D003051:Cochlea / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D011859:Radiography / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Human cochlea; image segmentation; microcomputed tomography; phase contrast imaging; synchrotron radiation; three-dimensional model