Miniaturized Endoscopic 2D US Transducer for Volumetric Ultrasound Imaging of the Auditory System.

Objective: In this paper, we focus on the carrying out and validation of minimally invasive three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound (US) imaging of the auditory system, which is based on a new miniaturized endoscopic 2D US transducer.

Methods: This unique probe consists of a 18 MHz 24 elements curved array transducer with a distal diameter of 4 mm so it can be inserted into the external auditory canal. Typical acquisition is achieved by rotating such a transducer around its own axis using a robotic platform.

Feasibility of Cochlea High-frequency Ultrasound and Microcomputed Tomography Registration for Cochlear Computer-assisted Surgery: A Testbed.

Introduction: There remains no standard imaging method that allows computer-assisted surgery of the cochlea in real time. However, recent evidence suggests that high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) could permit real-time visualization of cochlear architecture. Registration with an imaging modality that suffers neither attenuation nor conical deformation could reveal useful anatomical landmarks to surgeons.

HFUS Imaging of the Cochlea: A Feasibility Study for Anatomical Identification by Registration with MicroCT.

Cochlear implantation consists in electrically stimulating the auditory nerve by inserting an electrode array inside the cochlea, a bony structure of the inner ear. In the absence of any visual feedback, the insertion results in many cases of damages of the internal structures. This paper presents a feasibility study on intraoperative imaging and identification of cochlear structures with high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS).