Feasibility study of complex wavefield retrieval in off-axis acoustic holography employing an acousto-optic sensor.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a new method for complex-valued wavefield retrieval in off-axis acoustic holography. The method involves use of an intensity-sensitive acousto-optic (AO) sensor, optimized for use at 3.3 MHz, to record the acoustic hologram and a computational method for reconstruction of the object wavefield. The proposed method may circumvent limitations of conventional implementations of acoustic holography and may facilitate the development of acoustic-holography-based biomedical imaging methods.

Use of TissuePatchDural™ in the closure of an iatrogenic fistula following posterior semicircular canal occlusion surgery for intractable benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a common disorder caused by the dislocation of otoconia most commonly into the posterior canal. The primary symptoms are brief episodes of head-position related vertigo which may be accompanied by nausea and disequilibrium. BPPV is usually managed conservatively with excellent results, however in a small number of cases the symptoms can become persistent and incapacitating. The most common treatment in such cases involves the surgical occlusion of the canal. This procedure carries a small risk of post operative perilymph leakage via an iatrogenic fistula. In this paper we outline a case of a patient who developed a perilymph leak following occlusion surgery for intractable BPPV. We describe a novel surgical method that was used to close the fistula using a synthetic polymer based patch (TissuePatchDural90™), which has not been applied in the field of otology previously.