Automated 3-dimensional airway analysis from cone-beam computed tomography data.

p a o m m l a s s a p s l o w h p he analysis and 3-dimensional (3D) imaging of the irway have become more common as technological evelopments in both imaging and computer analysis ave advanced and converged during the past few ears. These advances have been especially beneficial or the ability to understand and diagnose obstructed leep disordered breathing (OSDB) and its relationship o the craniofacial anatomy. The improved availability of one-beam computed tomography (CBCT), 3D imaging, nd computer simulation in dentofacial analysis and reatment planning has facilitated the use of this method or evaluation of the airway. The currently available iagnosis and treatment planning methods for OSDB ave limitations despite inclusion of the patient’s sleep istory, nasendoscopy, polysomnography, and convenional imaging. A precise anatomic analysis of the airway hat could be correlated with the severity of OSDB and e easily obtainable would be valuable for diagnosis and reatment planning. At present, the airway calculation rom computed tomography data requires time-consumng manual data segmentation, the accuracy of which ould be questionable. Automatic data segmentation has he ability to provide rapid and reliable airway analysis esults. The airway extending from the tip of the nose to he epiglottis can be visualized on the CBCT scan Fig 1). Because the scan also includes the jaws, teeth, ranial base, spine, and facial soft tissues, there is an pportunity to evaluate the functional and developental relationships among these structures. The