In breast reconstructive surgery, assessment of the surgical outcome is usually made through the manual measurement of distances between different body landmarks, sometimes coupled with few non-calibrated pictures of the patient as a visual reference.
Three-dimensional laser scanners offer a new and non-invasive method for making a rigorous quantitative assessment of breast morphology, making it possible to measure a patient’s thorax/breast surface with submillimetre precision.
Researchers at the Politecnico di Milano have developed a new system and method for breast morphology assessment in plastic and reconstructive surgery. The system, which uses handheld laser scanning, makes active compensation for breathing motion and involuntary movements, providing a precise and complete assessment.
The researchers are Paolo Patete, Guido Baroni and Marco Riboldi, and a patent is available.
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