Résumé
Imaging techniques currently used in the clinic to inspect ears in patients are generally limited to views terminating at the tympanic membrane (TM) surface. For imaging past the TM, methods such as computed tomography are typically used, but in addition to disadvantages such as being costly, time consuming, and causing radiation exposure, these often do not provide sufficient resolution of the middle ear structures of interest. This study presents an investigation into the capability of high frequency ultrasound to image the middle ear with high resolution in real-time, as well as measure vibrations of TM and middle ear structures in response to sound stimuli. In unfixed cadaver ears, the TM, ossicles, and ossicular support tissues were all readily identifiable, with capabilities demonstrated for real-time imaging and video capture, and vibrometry of middle ear structures. Based on these results, we conclude that high frequency ultrasonography is a relatively simple and minimally invasive technology with great potential to provide clinicians with new tools for diagnosing and monitoring middle ear pathologies.
Langue d'origine | English |
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Pages (de-à) | 1-7 |
Nombre de pages | 7 |
Journal | Hearing Research |
Volume | 326 |
DOI | |
Statut de publication | Published - août 1 2015 |
Note bibliographique
Funding Information:Funding for this study was provided by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada ( 42438 ), and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (AIF 197819 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier B.V.
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Sensory Systems