Noninvasive 3D endoscopy and finite-element modeling for objective diagnosis and reconstruction of pathological middle ears.

The eardrum and three tiny bones (ossicles) in the middle ear play a vital role in sound perception, as they serve to bridge the gap between air and inner-ear fluid. Flexibility between the ossicles protects the inner ear from large external pressure variations. Several pathologies exist that lead to fixation of the ossicles, but current clinical tools to diagnose such fixations are often inaccurate. I will develop a new optical device to measure 3D eardrum deformations in living patients through the narrow ear canal: structured light patterns are projected and recorded through a newly designed endoscope, which makes it possible to determine quantitative eardrum shape deformation. I will analyze features in the eardrum deformation patterns to distinguish between different types of ossicle fixations, which will lead to an objective diagnostic protocol. When the diagnosis shows that ossicles are fixated or damaged, they are often surgically replaced by a rigid ossicle prosthesis. Due to their lack of flexibility, such reconstructions fail to buffer large external pressure variations, leading to loss of sound conduction and prosthesis dislocation. By using experimentally validated finite-element models of the middle ear I will create and optimize new flexible prosthesis designs that permit pressure buffering while preserving sound conduction. In future work, the custom prostheses will be 3D printed and experimentally tested.

Keywords:OTOLOGY

Disciplines:Biomedical image processing, Biomedical modelling, Device biomechanics, Medical imaging and therapy not elsewhere classified, Otology

Project type:Collaboration project