The device, designed by STT Engineering & Systems of Donostia-San Sebastian and adapted for use by the Plastic Surgery service at the Hospital for facial applications, has received the 2004 Award in the Innovative Projects Competition for Young Entrepreneurs for Transference of Research Results (Ideactiva Gaztempresa). The device captures and quantifies facial movement in three dimensions by means of three infrared cameras and software that processes facial movements before and after reconstruction. In this way, an exact method for measuring and evaluating the various parameters has been devised: angles, the speed of the spreading movement by facial muscles at the corners of the mouth, etc. Moreover, apart from analysing the outcome of surgery, this image-capturing system for facial movements also helps in programming the actual surgical operation. The parameters for the angle and the spreading movement of the risorious muscle that provokes the normal smile are chosen. On carrying out the muscular transplant, the surgeons have to follow the criteria calculated for the facial parameters in such a way that symmetry is established with the healthy side of the face. All this data is studied with this device and provides information for planning the treatment.

Apart from its clinical application, this system provides a highly important tool in the legal field. It can be used as very useful tool in investigations to quantify damage caused by workplace and traffic accidents, given that the degree of injury and muscular contraction can be quantified objectively and with exactitude.

Facial paralysis

Facial Paralysis is a relatively frequent pathology (each year there are nine new cases per 100,000 inhabitants), its origin being diverse such as, for example, obstetric, congenital, pharmacological, auto-immune, traumat
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Contact: Garazi Andonegi
garazi@elhuyar.com
34-943-363-040
Elhuyar Fundazioa
8-Mar-2005