THE APPLICATIONS OF HAND-HELD THREE-DIMENSIONAL SCANNER AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING IN BREAST ASSESSMENT

Abstract

Background: Despite the improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of breast disease, there remains a need to develop a tool capable of evaluating breast shape and volume objectively. With the advent of three-dimensional scanning and three-dimensional printing technologies, several attempts were made to explore their potential and applications in various disciplines of clinical practice. However, these efforts were not fully implied within the context of breast assessment and breast surgery. Purpose: The aim of this thesis was to investigate the applicability and accuracy of hand-held 3D surface scanners and 3D printers in the evaluation of breast shape and volume through the evaluation and comparison of various breast mannequins. Materials and Methods: To demonstrate the applicability of hand-held 3D surface scanning, the laser free surface-scanner Artec Eva device was investigated. The rationale of using this device was its feasibility, mobility and ability to provide high quality 3D scans in a short amount of time. Two scanning protocols were optimized and compared. Surface measurements were compared between the actual models and the 3D scanned images using one breast model, three different sized breast models and a defect created on a mannequin to mimic resected breast tissue. To assess the applicability of 3D printing within the context of breast assessment, the Flashforge Dreamer 3D printer was used. This printer utilizes Fused Filament Fabrication technology. Scan was processed and a 3D printed replica was produced. Comparisons were made between the original scan, the 3D printed replica and the actual model in terms of size and volume. Results and discussion: In terms of evaluating surface distances, the Artec Eva 3D scanner was able to assess the surface measurements of various breast models. With few statistically significant differences occurring between the actual models’ measurements and the measurements of the 3D scans. The first scanning protocol showed more accuracy. As the size of the breast model increased, accuracy improved. When 3D printed replicas were produced and compared to the dimensions and volumes of the actual models and the 3D scanned images, discrepancies were noted. The results were inconsistent and did not follow a certain pattern. Conclusion: This thesis investigated the applicability and accuracy of the hand-held 3D scanning device (Artec Eva 3D) and the Fused Filament Fabrication 3D printer (Flashforge Dreamer) within the context of objective breast shape and volume assessment. These technologies have the advantages of being feasible, fast and convenient. However, the increased costs, long processing time and the need for specific software training might limit its applications. Several limitations were identified which will need to be addressed in future work. Overall, this works shows an excellent opportunity for point of care of patients relative to the current methods used in breast assessment.