In cooperation with the Medical University of Innsbruck, we obtained new, high-resolution scans of the human inner ear, scanned in the MuCLS. The scans have a voxel-resolution of 6 µm, and good visibility on the auditory nerve (left figure).

The scans are required for improvements in models of the human cochlea, especially in regard to electrical stimulation by cochlear implants. To make use of the scans in the models, however, first a segmentation of the relevant structures is necessary. We already have semi-automatic segmentations of the auditory nerve (right figure).

The task of the project is the finalization of the current nerve segmentation. Two aspects are especially relevant:
- Fixing small gaps in the nerve segmentation, caused by artifacts in the original scans.
- Segmentation of the Rosenthal's Canal, the structure containing the cell bodies of the neurons in the auditory nerve. The canal is visible as a gap in the current segmentation.

In addition, the morphology of the segmented structures is to be measured and interpreted.

Prior knowledge about the anatomy and functionality of the inner ear and neurons is desired. For this, a visit of the lectures Neuroprosthetics or Systemtheorie der Sinnesorgane is advantageous. The segmentation will be done on 3DSlicer, experience in the program is advantageous, but not necessary.

If you are interested, write to albert.croner@tum.de, including your current transcript of records and CV. Earliest starting date: July 2024