Structured Light Profilometry For Designated Breast Surface Coordinate Variation Analysis

Early detection of breast carcinoma is vital for effective treatment option and to enhance the survival rate. Existing breast imaging systems such as ultrasound, mammography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been utilized for early detection of breast carcinoma which requires contact with the breast surface. However, these existing methods require contact to the breast surface, which causes discomfort to the test subject. Hence, there is a need for alternative modality, which exhibits a total non-contact nature. Structured light profilometry has developed into a vital system with its application in diverse fields of surface metrology analysis. Therefore, in this work structured light profilometry based on phase shift technique is setup to analyze the surface variation of the breast due to the presence of a lesion in the context of surface tension. The sinusoidal fringe pattern is projected through three step phase shift onto the surface of the breast, and a resulting phase map is produced. Pixel tracing was performed to evaluate the variation of surface changes on the breast based on surface marker coordinates. The comparison was made between breast with lump and breast without a lump. Maiden results have established that the structured light profilometry is capable of detecting breast surface changes at various locations on the breast.