Journal of Bioengineering & Biomedical Science

Neurosurgery microscopes that detect fluorescence associated with biological tissue are used to guide tumor resection surgeries. However, they can’t estimate values for tissue optical absorption and scattering needed to quantify fluorescence. An important first step to accurately assess absorption and scattering is the determination of the geometric shape of the sample. Here we present a new imaging system that performs 3D reconstructions through a neurosurgical microscope by projecting structured light. The profilometry system was evaluated using phantoms in the shape of stairs with multiple steps allowing determining 3D reconstruction accuracy and precision. The average accuracy and precision for all step heights (from 1.5 to 30 mm) was 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm, respectively. Profilometry measurements at different angles were also acquired by rotating a platform by ± 15°, 30° and 45°. The mean reconstruction error for all angles was 1.94° (STD=1.2°).