Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2025
Enhancing Electrode Location Assessment in Cochlear Implantation via Computed Tomography Image Fusion
Published on: January 17, 2025
Pre- and Postoperative Imaging of Cochlear Implantation in Cadaveric Specimens Using Low-Dose Photon-Counting
Bjoern Spahn1, Franz-Tassilo Müller-Graff1, Kristen Rak1
1From the Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology (B.S., F.-T.M.-G., K.R., J.E., J.V., S.H., R.H.), Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Head and Neck Surgery and the Comprehensive Hearing Center, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Background And Purpose:
Anatomically adapted cochlear implantation and efficient postoperative cochlear implant-fitting strategies benefit from reliable and highly detailed imaging techniques. Since image quality in CT is related to the applied radiation dose, this study aimed to evaluate low-dose cochlear imaging with a photon-counting detector by investigating the accuracy of pre- and postoperative cochlear analysis.
Materials And Methods:
Photon-counting CT images of 10 temporal bone specimens were acquired with 3 different radiation dose levels (regular dose: 27.1 mGy, low dose: 4.81 mGy, and ultra-low dose: 3.43 mGy) before and after cochlear implant electrode carrier insertion. A clinical scan protocol was used with a tube potential of 120 kV in ultra-high-resolution scan mode (detector collimation 120 × 0.2 mm). The accuracy of cochlear duct length measurements for the organ of Corti and electrode contact determination was investigated for all applied settings by 2 independent otosurgeons.
Results:
No substantial differences were ascertained between photon-counting CT scans performed with standard dose and dedicated low-dose imaging regarding the accuracy of neither pre- and postoperative cochlear analysis nor postoperative cochlear implant electrode analysis. Radiation dose reduction of 82.3% (low dose) and 87.3% (ultra-low dose) could be realized compared with the clinical standard protocol.
Conclusions:
Ultra-high-resolution cochlear imaging is feasible with very low radiation exposure when using a first-generation photon-counting CT in combination with dedicated low-dose protocols. The accuracy of pre- and postoperative cochlear analysis with the applied dose reduction settings was comparable with a clinical regular-dose protocol.
