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Would you like to learn more
about the anatomy of the ear?
You can download a free copy
of the 3D learning software.
The 3-D Virtual Model Of The Human Temporal Bone: A Stand-Alone Down-Loadable
Teaching Tool
By: Haobing Wang, Clarinda Northrop, M. Charles Liberman, Saumil N. Merchant
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
They have developed a 3-dimensional (3-D) virtual model of a human temporal bone
based on serial histological sections. The model is a powerful teaching tool for
learning the complex anatomy of the human temporal bone and for relating the 2-D
morphology from a histological section to the 3-D anatomy.
The model was created from archival histologic sections from a 14-year old male.
The specimen was formalin fixed, decalcified, embedded in celloidin, serially
sectioned in the axial plane at 20 microns, stained with hematoxylin and eosin,
and mounted on slides. Low-power views of every fifth section through the
temporal bone were digitized and imported into Amira v3.1 (Mercury Computer
Systems/TGS, San Diego, CA). The sections were aligned and segmented into
anatomical "structures of interest".
The 3-D model is a surface rendering of these structures of interest, which
currently includes (among others) the bone and air
spaces of the temporal bone; the perilymph
and endolymph spaces including
cochlear aqueduct and
endolymphatic duct and sac;
the sensory epithelia of the
cochlear and
vestibular labyrinths; the ossicles
and tympanic membrane; the
middle-ear muscles; the
carotid artery; and the
auditory, vestibular and
facial nerves. For each of these structures,
the surface transparency can be individually controlled, thereby revealing the
3-D relations between surface landmarks and underlying structure. New structures
of interest can be added within the Amira software.
The 3-D surface model can also be "sliced open" at any section, and the
appropriate raw histologic image superimposed on the cleavage plane. Leafing
through the section stack in this way provides a powerful view of the relation
between microscopic images and 3-D anatomy. The image stack can also be
re-sectioned in any arbitrary plane.
The model can be downloaded from the Eaton-Peabody Laboratory website link
listed below. It is packaged within a freeware 3-D viewer, which allows
full rotation and transparency control on any platform including Windows, Linux
and Mac OSX. The native Amira files are also available upon request.
Model development supported by a core grant from the NIDCD (P30 DC05209).
To download the copy of the free software please visit the website below.
https://research.meei.harvard.edu/otopathology/3dmodels//3dviewer.html
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