Stereo-photogrammetry for the determination of patient surface geometry

A stereo-photographic system has been developed with which surface contours of a human subject may be obtained rapidly and objectively. Nonmetric cameras are used and the results are obtained from direct measurements of the photographs. Software has been developed for interpretation of the photographic data with the assistance of a small computer and desk-top digitizer such as those routinely used in radiotherapy treatment planning. With the system the coordinates of a point on the subject may be determined with an accuracy of +/- 1-2 mm.