High-resolution in situ imaging of cochlear implant electrode arrays in cat temporal bones using Tuned Aperture Computed Tomography (TACT).
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OBJECTIVE: To determine the suitability of Tuned Aperture Computed Tomography (TACT) to generate high-resolution images of intracochlear electrode arrays, in situ, with sufficient anatomic and electrode detail to relate the location of individual electrode contacts to important anatomic landmarks in cat cadaveric temporal bones. The ultimate objective is to develop an imaging technology whereby variations in electrode location, relative to the target neural tissues, can be accurately determined and related to variations in performance with the cochlear implant. DESIGN: Cat temporal bones were implanted with an experimental scala tympani electrode array and an external fiducial landmark. A series of conventional 2D digital radiographs were collected from a variety of x-ray source projection angles and served as for generation of 3D volume renderings using the TACT software toolbox. The 3D renderings were then reoriented and resliced interactively to view the cochlear and electrode features of interest. RESULTS: Significant electrode and anatomical details could be visualized including the course of the electrode wires (<40 microm diameter), the location of all electrode contacts and the outline of the scala tympani. CONCLUSIONS: TACT generates high-resolution 3D images from 2D conventional radiographs. With TACT, the 3D renderings can be interactively reoriented and resectioned to permit visualization of any cochlear or electrode feature. In the present study, this aspect of TACT affords the opportunity to view of the location of each electrode contact relative to the adjacent cochlear features, such as the scalar walls. Because TACT uses conventional radiographic images to generate the volume renderings, the quality and resolution of the resulting 2D images do not suffer from artifacts characteristic of CT. These findings suggest that TACT may be a powerful tool for understanding the contribution of electrode placement to perceptual performance with the cochlear implant.
