Visualization, measurement and modelling of the cochlea using rotating midmodiolar slice planes

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Anatomy
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Standard DICOM viewers display parallel slices, which are suboptimal for visualizing the spiral cochlea.
• A midmodiolar view, a radial slice through the cochlea's central axis, offers superior visualization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a custom DICOM viewer for enhanced cochlear visualization.
• To enable radial slicing through the cochlea's central axis (midmodiolar view).

Main Methods:

• Developed a C++ program using ITK, VTK, GDCM, and Qt.
• Defined rotation axis by placing points in the modiolus.
• Implemented interactive mouse wheel rotation for midmodiolar slices and measurement tools.

Main Results:

• The viewer allows for precise determination of cochlear dimensions, including length.
• Facilitates assessment of cochlear implant electrode carrier positions.
• Enables generation of computer-aided design models from exported marker points.

Conclusions:

• The DICOM viewer is a valuable tool for cochlear implant research and clinical applications.
• Improves pre-operative planning for cochlear implant electrode selection based on cochlear length.