Objectives: Non-surgical cosmetic procedures like filler injections are increasingly popular nowadays. Intra-arterial injection of fillers may however lead to skin necrosis and/or blindness. The anatomy of the facial arteries is so variable however that even thorough knowledge of the anatomy never can avoid the injection in the arteries. Until now, no method has been described that can comprehensively visualize the arteries of the face without radiation and contrast injection; neither do we have technologies available that can display the arterial network in real life on the face of a patient.
Introduction: A thorough understanding of the arterial anatomy of the face is mandatory but insufficient to avoid these complications, as there is a myriad of anatomical variations. Until now, only classic angiography or CT angio was able to visualize the arterial network of the face, with all the related complications of radiation and contrast injection.
Materials / method: 20 healthy volunteers underwent a 3D-TOF Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) in an oblique coronal plane after infrared (IR) facial heating. Imaging was done both on 1,5 and 3 Tesla MRI devices. To avoid intravenous contrast injection, a 3D Time of Flight (TOF) flow-based technique was used. The arterial network was isolated as a 3D mesh and visualized through custom-built Augmented Reality (AR) software on the face of the test patients, using either the front- or back cam of any smartphone.
Results: Both the 1,5T and 3T MRA allowed visualization of the main facial arteries : Facial (89% of the cases), Angular (87%), Superior (84%) and Inferior (84%) Labial, Lateral Nasal (97%), Dorsal Nasal (84%), Supratrochlear (87%), Supraorbital (68%), and Superficial Temporal Arteries 100%). Dental wires or bone screws may have caused artefacts. No complications were reported. All visible arteries on MRA and their according depth levels could effectively be visualized on the patient’s face using a custom-built AR application. The accuracy of the displayed arteries was confirmed using Duplex Ultrasound
Conclusion: This technology not only represents the first analysis of the arterial network of the face of an individual patient without radiation or intravenous contrast injection, but also the first description of an accurate and dynamic visualization of the individual arterial network in Augmented Reality on the patient’s face.
Declaraciones
¿Ha recibido algún tipo de financiamiento para realizar su investigación sobre esta temática?
Si
Por favor especifique las entidades (individuo, empresa, sociedad): VLAIO (Flemish Government)
¿Ha recibido algún pago, honorario u otra compensación por su trabajo acerca de esta investigación?
No
¿Tiene vínculos financieros con alguna entidad que podría llegar a competir estrechamente con los medicamentos, materiales o instrumentos tratados en su investigación?
No
¿Posee o ha solicitado una patente relacionada a los materiales, productos o instrumentos utilizados en su investigación?
No
Este trabajo es presentado gracias al apoyo de: Augmented Anatomy