SLAM-based Breast Reconstruction System for Surgical Guidance Using a Low-Cost Camera

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Breast reconstruction surgery (BRS) following mastectomy faces challenges in achieving optimal symmetry and aesthetic outcomes.
• Current tools for BRS symmetry and appearance maintenance are often prohibitively expensive.
• Surgeon's judgment significantly impacts tissue harvesting and reconstructed breast shape in BRS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an intuitive and low-cost breast reconstruction system for improved surgical outcomes.
• To integrate Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) with a cost-effective RGB-D camera for breast scanning.
• To create patient-specific 3D printed molds for precise tissue shaping during BRS.

Main Methods:

• Developed a SLAM-based system with a customized mesh-generating software application.
• Utilized a low-cost RGB-D camera for non-invasive 3D scanning of the breast pre-mastectomy.
• Generated patient-specific 3D printed molds based on the reconstructed breast model.
• Validated surface reconstruction accuracy and repeatability, achieving errors under 1.5 mm.

Main Results:

• The SLAM-based system demonstrated high accuracy and repeatability in breast surface reconstruction (<1.5 mm error).
• The integrated software application was successfully tested on 20 patients, with 4 receiving intraoperative guidance.
• The system accurately reconstructed diverse breast shapes and skin tones, including the inframammary fold.

Conclusions:

• The developed system offers a consistent and accurate method for patient-specific breast reconstruction.
• This low-cost approach enhances the ability to achieve symmetry and desired appearance in BRS.
• The technology shows promise for improving patient satisfaction and surgical efficiency in mastectomy reconstruction.