Original Paper

The Visible Ear: A Digital Image Library of the Temporal Bone
Mads S. Sørensen^a, Andy B. Dobrzeniecki^b, Per Larsen^b, Thomas Frisch^a, Jon Sporring^b, Tron A. Darvann<sup>b

a</sup>Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Rigshospitalet, and
^b3D Laboratory, School of Dentistry, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Address of Corresponding Author

ORL 2002;64:378-381 (DOI: 10.1159/000066089)

  Key Words

• Temporal bone
• Digital images
• Anatomy
• Surgical simulation
• Three-dimensional viewer

  Abstract

High-fidelity computer-based modeling, simulation and visualization systems for the study of temporal bone anatomy and training for middle ear surgery are based on a sequence of digital anatomical images, which must cover a large tissue volume and yet display details in high resolution and with high fidelity. However, the use of existing image libraries by independent developers of virtual models of the ear is limited by copyright protection and low image resolution. A fresh frozen human temporal bone was CT-scanned and serially sectioned at 25 µm and digital images of the block surface were recorded at 50- to 100-µm increments with a Light Phase^TM single-shot camera back attachment. A total of 605 images were recorded in 24-bit RGB resolution. After color correction and elimination of image size variation by differential cropping to 15.4 cm × 9.7 cm, all images were resampled to 3,078 × 1,942 pixels at a final resolution of 50 µm/pixel and stored as 605 one-Mb JPEG files together with a three-dimensional viewer. The resulting complete set of image data provides: (1) a source material suitable for generating computer models of the human ear; (2) a resource of high-quality digital images of anatomical cross sections from the human ear, and (3) a PC-based viewer of the temporal bone in three perpendicular planes of section.

Copyright © 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Mads Sølvsten Sørensen, MD
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery F 2074
Rigshospitalet
DK-2100 Copenhagen (Denmark)
Tel. +45 3545 2259, Fax +45 3545 2690, E-Mail visibleear@lab3d.odont.ku.dk

  Article Information

Received: Received: April 10, 2002
Accepted: July 26, 2002
Number of Figures : 1, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 11