Friday, February 24, 2017

The Basics of Laser Scanners

During the end of this week and the beginning of the next, I will be spending time learning how to use the laser scanner and becoming acquainted with the programs used to produce 3D images. 


Let's first discuss how a laser scanner works.
Laser scanners let out beams of controlled lasers that take a distance measurement to an object. This means that they can create an accurate rendering of the outer surface of any model. 


Laser scanners are found everywhere, from police laser speed guns, to the cashier scanners in grocery stores.
For the purpose of my project, I will be looking at how they can be applied in the medical field.
 
https://virulentwordofmouse.wordpress
.com/2011/07/04/the-grocery-scanner-and-
barcode-economy/
http://www.stealthveil.com/guides/police-laser


This week I read some journal articles on how researchers have used laser scanners in relation to wounds in the past. 


One study focused on the use of digital image analysis to assess wound area and volume. In this paper, physicians reported a 95% confidence interval and there was no statistical significance difference between their measurement of the wounds. The full article can be found here. 


Another used Laser Doppler Imaging to assess the severity of pediatric burns. Burn outcomes are predicted accurately by physical examination of a physician 50 to 65% of the time. However, the Laser Doppler Imaging showed an overall accuracy of 96%. The full article can be found here. 


I'm really excited to finally start using the equipment.
I'll let you know how it goes next week!
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4 comments:

  1. UnknownFebruary 26, 2017 at 5:29 PM

    The prospects are exciting, especially burn patients! I recommend looking for newer publications to see what has changed in the last 10-15 years.

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    1. UnknownFebruary 27, 2017 at 7:01 AM

      I will definitely look into more recent research. Thank you for pointing that out!

      Delete
  2. UnknownFebruary 26, 2017 at 9:24 PM

    Hi Asfia!

    It's interesting to see how laser scanning could help with wounds. Do you think that lasers, if approved upon, will become the primary manner in which initial wounds are treated or do you think that people will still seek physicians first. Also, do you think this could possibly help underdeveloped countries who have a lack of medically trained professionals in the area? Just a few things to consider!

    I'm looking forward to your next post.

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    Replies
    1. UnknownFebruary 27, 2017 at 7:05 AM

      Over the years, laser scanners have become increasingly accurate. There's always a mistrust of technology in medicine, but I believe with advances, laser scanners could be used as an incredibly important diagnostic tool, like MRI and CAT scans for example.

      To answer your second question, I think laser scanners could eventually be used in underdeveloped countries. As they become more common, they are becoming cheaper to purchase. However, a professional would still need to read the results for an accurate diagnosis.

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