Three-Dimensional Facial Scanning at the Fingertips of Patients and Surgeons: Accuracy and Precision Testing of iPhone X Three-Dimensional Scanner

Abstract

Background: The iPhone X (Apple, Inc., Cupertino, Calif.) is the first smartphone to be released with a high-fidelity three-dimensional scanner. At present, half of all U.S. smartphone users use an iPhone. Recent data suggest that the majority of these 230 million individuals will upgrade to the iPhone X within 2 years. This represents a profound expansion in access to three-dimensional scanning technology, not only for plastic surgeons but for their patients as well. The purpose of this study was to compare the iPhone X scanner against a popular, portable three-dimensional camera used in plastic surgery (Canfield Vectra H1; Canfield Scientific, Inc., Parsippany, N.J.). Methods: Sixteen human subjects underwent three-dimensional facial capture with the iPhone X and Canfield Vectra H1. Results were compared using color map analysis and surface distances between key anatomical landmarks. To assess repeatability and precision of the iPhone X three-dimensional scanner, six facial scans of a single participant were obtained and compared using color map analysis. In addition, three-dimensionally–printed facial masks (n = 3) were captured with each device and compared. Results: For the experiments, average root mean square was 0.44 mm following color map analysis and 0.46 mm for surface distance between anatomical landmarks. For repeatability and precision testing, average root mean square difference following color map analysis was 0.35 mm. For the three-dimensionally–printed facial mask comparison, average root mean square difference was 0.28 mm. Conclusions: The iPhone X offers three-dimensional scanning that is accurate and precise to within 0.5 mm when compared to a commonly used, validated, and expensive three-dimensional camera. This represents a significant reduction in the barrier to access to three-dimensional scanning technology for both patients and surgeons.

Three-dimensional facial scanner in the hands of patients: validation of a novel application on iPad/iPhone for three-dimensional imaging

“…This increases the popularity and accessibility of 3D scanning. 3D facial models obtained by mobile devices can be used for facial (8). The study compared 16 pairs of 3D virtual models captured by iPhone X and Vectra H1 and found that the average RMS between the two methods was 0.44±0.10 mm, which was comparable to the average RMS of the present study.…”

“…As 3D facial scanning continues to gain popularity in aesthetic and craniofacial surgery, surgeons and patients begin to acknowledge the limitations of commercial 3D scanning devices. First, although the portability of 3D facial scanners improved in recent years and some portable devices have been validated to have high reliability, they are designed for surgeons but not patients and they require familiarity with capture technology (8). Patients must come to the clinics and seek help from professionals for 3D scanning.…”

The Utility of Smartphone 3D Scanning, Open-Sourced Computer-aided Design, and Desktop 3D Printing in the Surgical Planning of Microtia Reconstruction: a Step by Step Guide and Concept Assessment

“…Its efficacy was previously investigated and showed a comparable result to higher end systems. 5 Such a system works through the utilization of the 3D capturing system integrated in the smartphone with the utility of different applications that reads and arranges such 3D data. We have utilized an affordable application due to its easy-to-follow instruction particularly that we aimed to scan a pediatric patient.…”

“…We have utilized an affordable application due to its easy-to-follow instruction particularly that we aimed to scan a pediatric patient. Furthermore, such scans can also be made using a freely available application as described previously 5 but with anticipated challenges in patient positioning and device rotation around the screened subject.…”

“…The scanning was done using an iPhone 12 that has a 3D capture system rotated around the patient's head as described earlier but with the use of an affordable application specific for facial scanning Bellus3D FaceApp (Bellus3D Campbell, CA) with easy-to-use instructions. 5 The patient was 10 years old and was made familiar with the application through trial scans in which the application instructs the patient to move the head in the desired direction. The process after familiarization took 4 min to finalize.…”