Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 19, 2025
07:22
Minimally Invasive Murine Laryngoscopy for Close-Up Imaging of Laryngeal Motion During Breathing and Swallowing
Published on: December 1, 2023
703
Comparing different software packages for measuring the oropharynx and minimum cross-sectional area
Tarek ElShebiny1, Sherif Morcos2, Hakan El3
1Department of Orthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio; Private Practice T Smile Orthodontics, Solon, Ohio.
Summary
Four imaging software packages reliably measure oropharyngeal volume and minimum cross-sectional area (MCA). All tested programs demonstrated high intra- and inter-operator reliability, with no significant differences found between them.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging Analysis
- 3D Reconstruction
Background:
- Oropharyngeal volume and minimum cross-sectional area (MCA) are critical metrics in airway assessment.
- Several imaging software packages claim to measure these parameters, but their comparative accuracy is often unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the reliability and agreement of four different imaging software packages in measuring oropharyngeal volume and MCA.
- To evaluate inter-operator and intra-operator reliability for each software.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-eight cone-beam computed tomography scans were analyzed.
- Oropharyngeal volume and MCA were measured by two operators using Dolphin 3D, InVivo Dental, OnDemand3D, and ITK-SNAP.
- Intraclass correlation coefficients, paired t tests, analysis of variance, and Bland-Altman analysis were used to assess reliability and agreement.
Main Results:
- All four software packages demonstrated excellent intra- and inter-operator repeatability.
- No statistically significant differences were found between the software programs for measuring oropharyngeal volume and MCA.
- Bland-Altman analysis showed variations within one standard deviation, indicating good agreement between software.
Conclusions:
- The evaluated software packages (Dolphin 3D, InVivo Dental, OnDemand3D, ITK-SNAP) provide reliable measurements of oropharyngeal volume and MCA.
- Clinicians can confidently use any of these software packages for airway analysis, as they exhibit high reliability and inter-software agreement.
