Middle ear of human and pig: a comparison of structures and mechanics.

Introduction: Animal studies are an essential method to evaluate implants for the middle ear prior to clinical studies. New Zealand rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas are, among other small mammals, well established animal models, but their auditory system is significantly smaller compared to human. Hence, the suitability of the domestic pig (sus scrofa domesticus) as a new animal model for research on the middle ear (ME), that would match the human in size, was investigated.

[Detection of intraorbital foreign material using MDCT].

Aim: To judge the possibilities of detection of orbital foreign bodies in multidetector CT (MDCT) with a focus on glass slivers.

Materials And Methods: Experimental systematic measuring of Hounsfield Units (HU) of 20 different materials, containing 16 different types of glass with 4 different types of ophthalmic lenses among them. The measurements were performed using a standardized protocol with an orbita phantom being scanned with 16-slice MDCT.

Parameter study on a finite element model of the middle ear.

Models of the middle ear basing on the finite element method (FEM) have contributed to a better understanding of the function of its different components. The geometry, the choice of boundary conditions and material properties have a crucial influence on the model. The influence of individual parameters was investigated.