3D Facial Plastic Surgery Simulation: Based on the Structured Light

Abstract

The 3D quantitative analysis of facial morphology is of importance in plastic surgery (PS), which could help surgeons design appropriate procedures before conducting the surgery. We propose a system to simulate and guide the shaping effect analysis, which could produce a similar but more harmonious face simulation. To this end, first, the depth camera based on structured light coding is employed for facial 3D data acquisition, from which the point cloud data of multiple facial perspectives could be obtained. Next, the cascade regression tree algorithm is used to extract the esthetic key points of the face model and to calculate the facial features composed of the key points, such as the nose, chin, and eyes. Quantitative facial esthetic indexes are offered to doctors to simulate PS. Afterward, we exploit a face mesh metamorphosis based on finite elements. We design several morphing operators, including augmentation, cutting, and lacerating. Finally, the regional deformation is detected, and the operation effect is quantitatively evaluated by registering the 3D scanning model before and after the operation. The test of our proposed system and the simulation of PS operations find that the measurement error of facial geometric features is 0.458 mm, and the area is 0.65 mm2. The ratings of the simulation outcomes provided by panels of PS prove that the system is effective. The manipulated 3D faces are deemed more beautiful compared to the original faces respecting the beauty canons such as facial symmetry and the golden ratio. The proposed algorithm could generate realistic visual effects of PS simulation. It could thus assist the preoperative planning of facial PS.