Non-invasive technique for in vivo human ear canal volume measurement

This prospective study is to develop a new non-invasive in vivo technique for the measurement of the human external auditory canal (EAC) volume using high resolution computed tomography (HRCT). Eighteen ears of nine male volunteers, with an age range of 2030, were measured. The EAC volume was measured using three different methods: tympanometry, water injection, and HRCT. Two dimensional image slices of the EAC, in vivo, were obtained from the raw HRCT data. Each 2D CT image slice was composed of 512 × 512 pixels, with a 0.5 mm slice thickness, and a 0.175 × 0.175 × 0.5 mm³ voxel size. HRCT images were processed with Amira® software (Visage Imaging, Inc., San Diego, USA). Three-dimensional images of the EAC were reconstructed using an unconstrained smoothing mode. The resulting volume of the 3D model of the EAC was calculated using a voxel gate stacked tool. Using tympanometry, the mean measured EAC volume, averaged over all ears, was 766.66 mm³ (Standard Deviation, SD = 194.03 mm³). Using water injection, the mean measured EAC volume was 1102.77mm³ (SD = 121.60 mm³). Using HRCT, the mean measured EAC volume was 1082.22 mm³ (SD = 119.63 mm³). As evident from the SD values, variability was greater in the tympanometry group than in the water injection and HRCT groups. This study successfully developed a new technique to measure the EAC volume using HRCT imaging. This non-invasive technique for in vivo EAC volume measurement was less variable than tympanometry, and avoided the intrusive aspect of measurement by water injection. The technique allows effective, non-invasive assessment of the EAC volume pre-canalplasty, providing a predictor of EAC volume post-canalplasty.