Portable structured-light 3D volumetry for breast and flap assessment: Technical validation and workflow development

Abstract

Objective To establish and technically validate a portable structured light volumetry workflow for breast sized objects and surgical tissues, and to identify practical acquisition strategies for clinically relevant problems such as inframammary fold occlusion and intraoperative tissue assessment. Methods Four components were performed using a portable structured light scanner (Revopoint MIRACO Plus®): (1) phantom validation using 300–500 mL balloons (n = 25) against calibrated syringe volumes; (2) a mannequin posture experiment (300/500/700 mL) comparing 20° forward lean with supine acquisition using a subtractive modeling method (SMM); (3) biologic tissue simulation using porcine skin-subcutis, porcine muscle, and bovine muscle, with three scans per Near and Far mode; and (4) an observational intraoperative scan series (10 flaps; 10 reduction blocks). Accuracy was assessed using regression, Bland–Altman analysis, mean absolute percentage error, and paired comparisons. Results Phantom scans showed near-identity agreement with reference volumes (R² = 0.995), with a mean bias of +2.4 mL and limits of agreement from −7.4 to +12.2 mL. In the mannequin model, forward lean reduced bias by 20.0 mL at 500 mL and 95.6 mL at 700 mL versus supine SMM (both p < 0.001), supporting a feasible strategy when the inframammary fold is obscured. In biologic tissues, Far mode improved completeness and reduced scan time by about 54% versus Near mode. Intraoperatively, Far mode produced volume computable meshes for pedicled flaps, free flaps, and reduction specimens. Conclusions Portable structured light scanning provides accurate and repeatable volumetry while defining a practical workflow for breast and surgical tissue assessment.