INTRODUCTION
Dermatology has benefited from multiple technological advancements, including total body photography (TBP)1,2 and teledermatology.3 These technological leaps were made possible with the introduction of digital photography, especially with the advent of digital single-lens reflex (DSLR), point-and-shoot (PAS) cameras, and eventually smart devices (ie, smartphones, tablets) in dermatology clinics.4 However, integrating advanced digital tools into the average dermatology office and routine care can be prohibitive as it may require a sizable investment into specialized hardware (eg, specially-mounted cameras)2 and/or software not readily available, easily accessible, or financially/fiscally attainable to most dermatologists/patients.
Light and laser-imaging detection and ranging (LiDAR) is a three-dimensional (3D) modeling system that measures the time emitted pulsed infrared light takes to return to a sensor.5 Based on time (and therefore distance), a virtual high-resolution model with proportional dimensions is generated. As of October 2020, this technology was made available on iPhone 12 Pro and subsequent models (Apple, Inc., Cupertino, CA).5 With widespread mobile-phone adoption, this technology could materially increase access to teledermatology and TBP for dermatologists and patients alike by providing a method of 3D-modeling parts of a (if not an entire) human body.
The Technique
Here, we demonstrate the use of a free iPhone app, Scaniverse (Niantic, Inc., San Francisco, CA), and 3D models captured on an iPhone 14 Pro Max (iOS 16.4). Models captured can be freely rotated and magnified to better demonstrate lesion(s) color, size, shape, and distribution [eg, patient's left leg evaluated for possible vasculitis (Figure 1)]. The implementation of LiDAR also enables accurate measurements of 3D models, demonstrated by using an in-frame ruler for reference against an "ulcer" on the author's (JWM) forearm (Figure 2A and 2B). These tools could be used to grossly follow nevi between scans and (potentially remotely) measure and triangulate new/ concerning/suspicious pigmented lesions. Similar applications can be used as an adjunct for pre-surgical evaluation. Benign (eg, hypertrophic scar on the author’s [JWM] left posterior
Light and laser-imaging detection and ranging (LiDAR) is a three-dimensional (3D) modeling system that measures the time emitted pulsed infrared light takes to return to a sensor.5 Based on time (and therefore distance), a virtual high-resolution model with proportional dimensions is generated. As of October 2020, this technology was made available on iPhone 12 Pro and subsequent models (Apple, Inc., Cupertino, CA).5 With widespread mobile-phone adoption, this technology could materially increase access to teledermatology and TBP for dermatologists and patients alike by providing a method of 3D-modeling parts of a (if not an entire) human body.
The Technique
Here, we demonstrate the use of a free iPhone app, Scaniverse (Niantic, Inc., San Francisco, CA), and 3D models captured on an iPhone 14 Pro Max (iOS 16.4). Models captured can be freely rotated and magnified to better demonstrate lesion(s) color, size, shape, and distribution [eg, patient's left leg evaluated for possible vasculitis (Figure 1)]. The implementation of LiDAR also enables accurate measurements of 3D models, demonstrated by using an in-frame ruler for reference against an "ulcer" on the author's (JWM) forearm (Figure 2A and 2B). These tools could be used to grossly follow nevi between scans and (potentially remotely) measure and triangulate new/ concerning/suspicious pigmented lesions. Similar applications can be used as an adjunct for pre-surgical evaluation. Benign (eg, hypertrophic scar on the author’s [JWM] left posterior
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shoulder in Figure 3) and malignant lesions can be identified via LiDAR and, when combined with traditional triangulation to anatomic or persistent cutaneous landmarks (eg, hypertrophic scars, acquired nevi; Figure 4) can theoretically provide a more wholistic pre-operative assessment.
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