Accuracy of software designed for automated localization of the inferior alveolar nerve canal on cone beam CT images.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to design and evaluate a new method for automated localization of the inferior alveolar nerve canal on CBCT images.

Methods: The proposed method is based on traversing both panoramic and cross-sectional slices. For the panoramic slices, morphological skeletonization is imposed, and a modified Hough transform is used while traversing the cross-sectional slices.