PreviewLabs

A study published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, conducted by a group of Belgian medical professionals proves that an augmented reality (AR) prototype developed by PreviewLabs can be used as an effective tool for visualizing facial arteries.

The study states: “Given the wide variety in the vascular makeup of the face and the rising instances of complications from filler injections into arteries, there is a pressing need for a safe and effective method to visualize the individual arterial anatomy of the face. AR could serve as this safe and effective method.”

For his research, Dr. Benoit Hendrickx was working with a company named Dynamic Dimensions. As they created a solution to extract and simplify the arterial geometry from the MRA scan, they were looking for a way to visualize the arteries onto someone’s face, much like how a SnapChat filter works, but using the rear-facing camera rather than the front-facing camera of the phone.

Since there were a few solutions available, but not all working well with the rear-facing camera, and given the need for accuracy, Dynamic Dimensions’ Wouter Van Hauwermeieren approached PreviewLabs for our expertise. PreviewLabs advised to conduct a technical feasibility study, comparing various solutions in order to determine which one would be the most promising.

After settling on the image system, PreviewLabs developed a technical proof of concept, which was used in the study.

One of the main challenges for this technical proof of concept was finding a solution for the slight movement of the arteries when the patients sits upright, compared to when they lay down during the MRA scan in which the arteries are mapped.

The results of this study were satisfactory to the researchers, and they concluded that using a safe technique called MRA to map facial arteries and transforming the results into an AR image could be a valuable and accurate tool for dermal filler injections.

Read the full findings of the study on the Aesthetic Surgery Journal’s website.

Let us Help your Study Shine

At PreviewLabs, we have extensive experience with augmented reality and are here when you need us, to help you leverage the technology optimally through the use of technical feasibility studies and technical proofs of concept. Are you looking to develop something in this sense? Contact us.