Three-dimensional measurement of biological surfaces

The rapid advances in medical imaging and computer graphics have recently increased the need for three-dimensional measuring methods suitable for biological surfaces. The demand ranges from experimental laboratories to medical applications in the clinic. This study presents a simple non-contact technique which is based on rasterstereography principles capable of measuring "three-dimensional", irregular shaped biological surfaces of various sizes. The technique is fully computerized and draws on advanced methods of image processing. It can be applied to both static and moving (dynamic) surfaces. Applications of this technique to "three-dimensional" surface measurement of collapsible tubes and the human back are presented.