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3D Scanner Could Increase Accuracy of Surgery


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A three-dimensional scan of a face.

University of Waterloo researchers have invented a scanner to capture full-field three-dimensional surface-shape data in real time.

Credit: University of Waterloo Intelligent Human Machine Systems 3D Imaging Labs

Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada invented a scanner to capture full-field three-dimensional (3D) surface-shape data in real time by facilitating 3D capabilities at each camera pixel.

The solution employs novel algorithms to compute surface shape at the same frame rate as video with approximately 0.1-mm measurement accuracy, and capture images of moving or stationary objects.

The device can be mounted on a tripod or robot, or be hand-held; if utilized during surgery, the scanner can accurately measure organs or tissues that may have shifted or deformed since images were recorded prior to surgery.

Waterloo's Jonathan Kofman said, "If you're looking at tissues, you can measure their surface coordinates while the shape is changing."

The scanner also could enhance robotic surgery by allowing surgeons to view overlays of tissues' 3D configuration, rotating the shape or studying it from different angles.

From Waterloo News
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Abstracts Copyright © 2019 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA


 

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