Feasibility of Middle Ear OCT Imaging

Rationale: Various middle ear diseases can affect anatomical structures of the middle ear in different ways. Unfortunately, current methods for assessing the structure and function of the constituents of the middle ear are limited and often fail to provide all clinically relevant data. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a technology that can provide valuable, additional information with a newly developed prototype OCT-device for structural and functional imaging of the middle ear. Objective: To assess the feasibility and the clinical potential of structural and functional OCT imaging with a newly developed OCT-device in patients with various middle ear problems. Study design: Observational study Study population: Adult patients presenting with various middle ear complaints at the Ear Nose Throat department of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Main study parameters/endpoints: Percentage of patients in which structural OCT imaging was feasible (i.e., the OCT images showed a discernible tympanic membrane (TM) and at least one of the ossicles). Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness: The burden is minimal: patient examination with Aurisvue is similar to the conventional examination with a standard otoscope and will take approximately 5 to 10 minutes. The risks are negligible: imaging is done with light levels well below the maximum permissible exposure level and sound levels to induce movement of the TM and the ossicular chain are well below the hazardous threshold.