Breast volume calculation using a low-cost scanning system

Breast volume has been identified as a key metric in assessing patients for reconstructive surgery. Scanning systems have measured breast volume but they have tended to rely on expensive hardware and software. This paper discusses the development and assessment of an algorithm capable of calculating breast volume from 3D point data. A mannequin was scanned (using a custom, Kinect based scanning system) with one of two breast prostheses attached – 400g or 600 g. Each scan was assessed by three independent operators: seven anatomical points were identified representing the boundary of the breast region, which was then isolated. A Coons patch was used to represent the invisible chest surface lying below the breast tissue. A trapezium rule based approach was used to calculate the volume of the enclosed region between the breast and chest surfaces. Breast volume over-estimated by 130 cc with the 400 g prosthesis (30.3%) and 206 cc (33.3%) with the 600 g prosthesis, suggesting positive proportional bias. Average reliability was ± 59.7 cc for the 400 g prosthesis (13.9%) and ± 34.7 cc for the 600 g prosthesis (5.6%) – approaching the levels required to differentiate between implant sizes (25 -50 cc). Future work will focus on refining the hardware and software of this scanning system – minimising proportional basis and maximising reliability of measurement.