Image analysis and processing methods in verifying the correctness of performing low-invasive esthetic medical procedures

Robert Koprowski,Zygmunt Wróbel,Anna Deda,Slawomir Wilczyński,Arkadiusz Samojedny

doi:10.1186/1475-925x-12-51

Robert Koprowski, Zygmunt Wróbel + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-925x-12-51

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Abstract

BackgroundEfficacy and safety of various treatments using fractional laser or radiofrequency depend, to a large extent, on precise movement of equipment head across the patient’s skin. In addition, they both depend on uniform distribution of emitted pulses throughout the treated skin area. The pulses should be closely adjacent but they should not overlap. Pulse overlapping results in amplification of irradiation dose and carries the danger of unwanted effects.MethodsImages obtained in infrared mode (Flir SC5200 thermovision camera equipped with photon detector) were entered into Matlab environment. Thermal changes in the skin were forced by CO2RE laser. Proposed image analysis and processing methods enable automatic recognition of CO2RE laser sites of action, making possible to assess the correctness of performed cosmetic procedures.Results80 images were acquired and analyzed. Regions of interest (ROI) for the entire treatment field were determined automatically. In accordance with the proposed algorithm, laser-irradiated Li areas (ROI) were determined for the treatment area. On this basis, error values were calculated and expressed as percentage of area not covered by any irradiation dose (δo) and as percentage area which received double dose (δz). The respective values for the analyzed images were δo=17.87±10.5% and δz=1.97±1.5%, respectively.ConclusionsThe presented method of verifying the correctness of performing low-invasive esthetic medical (cosmetic) procedures has proved itself numerous times in practice. Advantages of the method include: automatic determination of coverage error values δo and δz, non-invasive, sterile and remote-controlled thermovisual mode of measurements, and possibility of assessing dynamics of patient’s skin temperature changes.

Highlights

Efficacy and safety of various treatments using fractional laser or radiofrequency depend, to a large extent, on precise movement of equipment head across the patient’s skin
Considering trends in population demographics in both developed and developing countries, the tendency of low-invasive esthetic medical procedures to grow in popularity will likely become more dynamic
In the presented study we aimed to verify the correctness of performing laser-mediated esthetical medical procedures

Summary

Introduction

Efficacy and safety of various treatments using fractional laser or radiofrequency depend, to a large extent, on precise movement of equipment head across the patient’s skin They both depend on uniform distribution of emitted pulses throughout the treated skin area. Owing to the new developments in the medical equipment market it has become possible to obtain satisfactory results of esthetic medicine procedures, together with a relatively low treatment invasiveness which means shorter recovery time. Such minimum invasiveness, modest intensity of adverse side effects, coupled with satisfactory effects of treatment is possible, only after optimizing procedure parameters

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