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Investigation of Shape with Patients Suffering from Unilateral Lymphoedema

Kevork Karakashian, Lawrence Shaban, Cheryl Pike, Raoul van Loon Orcid Logo

Annals of Biomedical Engineering, Volume: 46, Pages: 108 - 121

Swansea University Author: Raoul van Loon Orcid Logo

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Abstract

This study investigates the use of a 3D depth sensing camera for analysing the shape of lymphoedematous arms, and seeks to identify suitable metrics for monitoring lymphoedema clinically. A fast, simple protocol was developed for scanning upper limb lymphoedema, after which a robust data pre- and po...

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Published in: Annals of Biomedical Engineering
ISSN: 0090-6964 1573-9686
Published: 2018
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa35293
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Abstract: This study investigates the use of a 3D depth sensing camera for analysing the shape of lymphoedematous arms, and seeks to identify suitable metrics for monitoring lymphoedema clinically. A fast, simple protocol was developed for scanning upper limb lymphoedema, after which a robust data pre- and post-processing framework was built that consistently and quickly identifies arm shape and volume. The framework was then tested on 24 patients with mild unilateral lymphoedema, who were also assessed using tape measurements. The scanning protocol developed led to scanning times of about 20–30 s. Shape related metrics such as circumference and circularity were used to distinguish between affected and healthy arms (p ≤ 0.05). Swelling maps were also derived to identify the distribution of oedema on arms. Topology and shape could be used to monitor or even diagnose lymphoedema using the provided framework. Such metrics provide more detailed information to a lymphoedema specialist than solely volume. Although tested on a small cohort, these results show promise for further research into better diagnostics of lymphoedema and for future adoption of the proposed methods across lymphoedema clinics.
Keywords: Edema, 3D camera, Swelling, Geometric analysis, Topology, Limb volume
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Start Page: 108
End Page: 121