Face

3D face scanning applications in healthcare

The use of structured light scanning technology makes it possible to 3D scan the human body with all of its anatomical complexities for a wide range of healthcare applications, including facial augmentation and reconstruction, plastic surgery and more.

3D facial scanning is just one area in which Artec’s scanners have become indispensable tools to medical personnel. In a recent study, Artec’s Eva was used to scan a human face in order to examine the effect of sitting, standing and supine positions on facial soft tissue.

Before the introduction of 3D scanning, medical personnel had to rely on the use of conventional cephalometric techniques to get the required measurements of the human face. This was both unreliable and time consuming since it had to be done manually, leaving room for error. Getting precise measurements is paramount to the success of any healthcare application that requires manipulation of the human body, especially when the face is the area in concern. Since 3D scanning a face takes only an instant, the possibility of errors is minimal.

In maxillofacial surgery an accurate face scan of the patient is critical. For this the best 3D imaging solutions as used, such as 3D scanners. Artec’s fast, safe and easy to use technology allows medical personnel to make 3D face scans on the spot with no risk to the patient’s health.

Artec’s Eva allows a user to 3D scan from virtually any angle and collect large amounts of data fast. The scanner also compensates for small movements in the patient and achieves results of superior precision and reliability, leading to a near perfect 3D face scan. It is an especially useful tool, as other methods used to capture this data, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computer tomography (CT), require the patient to stand, sit or lie in a totally motionless position in order to get a highly precise 3D face scan.

The highly detailed 3D face scan can be analysed in Artec Studio, using its range of measuring tools, while the software’s popular output file formats, such as .stl, .obj and .ply, allow seamless scan export into specific healthcare software for further editing and analysis. Using Artec’s SDK, it is also possible to integrate 3D scanning directly into any medical software, providing an even faster solution.