The Challenge: Scientists at the University of Portsmouth needed a non-invasive, fast and simple tool to accurately measure breast volume in order to conduct research in breast health and bra science.
Solution: Artec Eva, Artec Studio
Result: Breast volume was measured with a high level of precision, with a maximum difference of 0.8% between actual and measured volume. With a processing error of 0.1%, the total error was at most 0.9%.
Why Artec 3D: Artec 3D solutions are indispensable in healthcare applications worldwide, providing medical professionals and researchers with reliable tools for fast, safe and non-invasive scanning.
Interesting fact: breasts are uniquely human. Of all the 5,000 existing species of mammals, only Homo sapiens has permanent breasts, which have an established role in social and cultural discourses. Breasts are a powerful symbol of nature and vitality, as well as a multidimensional concept associated with physicality, gender identification, sensuality and empowerment. However, they are still an extremely vulnerable attribute, which often receives only limited attention.
Perceptions and attitudes towards breast health are so complex that in many cultures it is a challenge to plan public health initiatives or raise awareness about breast care. With this in mind, the Breast Health Research Group at the University of Portsmouth has set itself an ambitious goal: to improve women's quality of life by advancing scientific knowledge about breast health and developing products related to their support.
Understanding the importance of breast support for women's well-being
The team of scientists led by Professor Joanna Wakefield-Sker has gained an international reputation for academic publications on breast biomechanics, bra science and breast health. This enabled them to cooperate with some of the world's largest manufacturers of underwear and sportswear. One of their key projects is the innovative measurement of breast volume, essential for proper breast support in various environments and occupations, breast anthropometry and breast pain relief.
Proper breast sizing is important for detecting changes, monitoring pressure on the spine and musculoskeletal system, and preventing potential injury, pain, or discomfort.
"Accurate and objective measurement of breast volume is essential for surgical interventions, but it is equally important for research in breast health and bra science," explained Dr. Jacqueline Ricks, senior researcher. Research has shown that over 80% of women wear the wrong bra size, which deprives them of adequate support. This further emphasizes the need to educate women about the correct bra size selection.
3D scanning for accurate measurement of breast volume
For many of the studies conducted by the research group, accurate and reliable measurement of breast volume is essential. When looking for the best way to achieve this, Dr. Chris Mills, Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics, decided to try the Artec Eva , a structured light 3D scanner known for its speed and versatility. Back in 2017, Artec's gold-certified partner, Patrick Thorn & Co, held a demonstration of the Eva device at the university, which became the starting point for their collaboration.
Over the following years, the research group worked with the Artec Eva scanner and various versions of the Artec Studio software, becoming one of the first professional teams to try the then beta version of Artec Studio 17 . dr. Ricks recalled, "I'm terrible with technology, so I was very worried (how I was going to learn to use it) when I started the project. But it's really simple, very intuitive – it's hard to make a mistake."
Artec Eva is used worldwide in healthcare institutions to scan the human body because it is safe, fast, accurate and easy to use, so experts do not have to spend extra time on improving technical skills - which could once have deterred the application of high technologies in this area. Compact and lightweight, the scanner allows greater freedom when scanning the human anatomy.
"Eva is a handheld and mobile scanner," said Dr. Mills. "Breasts come in different shapes and sizes. When you're scanning, you're constantly moving to make sure you get the whole shape. Now that we know how accurate it is, we certainly wouldn't switch from the Artec Eva to another device."
At the start of their experiment, the scientists wanted to know if the 0.01 mm precision that Eva promises would be enough and if the scanner's processing techniques would affect their calculations. To check this, the team assessed the scanner's accuracy by calculating the total measurement error.
Processing that makes a difference
The researchers scanned Play-Doh (modeling clay from Hasbro, USA) of known volume using an Artec Eva scanner. They processed the obtained data in the Autopilot mode of the Artec Studio software, removed the base and filled the shape of the Play-Doh breast in the Fix holes section. After obtaining the volume in the Measures section, they compared it to the actual volume of the Play-Doh mass.
The difference between the actual and measured volume was a maximum of 0.8% (3.8 ml) , while the minimum difference was 0.2% (1.3 ml) for volumes between 535 ml and 715 ml .
"First we wanted to know: If we scan something of known volume, will we get the same volume with a 3D scanner? So we started with Play-Doh. We started with 235 milliliters, scanned it, and worked our way up to over a thousand milliliters. That's more than a liter of Play-Doh, and we scanned every 15 milliliters, and the accuracy was incredible."
However, human breasts are not uniform in shape on a flat surface, so the team sought volunteers for the project so that it could scan people with the Eva scanner and assess the prediction of breast volume. Before scanning, the scientists marked the boundaries of the volunteer's breast, took scans with an Eva scanner and processed them by segmenting the breast from the trunk. The process was repeated five times.
"Every time we calculated the volume, we were within one milliliter of difference, which is amazing."
"We used an eyeliner pencil to draw a thin line around the breast, and we were able to segment the breast from the carcass within that line. To make sure we were getting the same results, we used the same participant's scan: we erased and re-segmented the breast from the carcass, processed and calculated the breast volume five times. And every time, the volume was within one milliliter of difference, which is amazing," Dr. Ricks described.
With a little help from Artec 3D
One of the key things the researchers highlighted was the outstanding support from Patrick Thorn and his team. "We were able to work closely with the Artec team to address the current limitations of the version of Studio we were using, and they have significantly improved the processing features in Artec Studio 17," said Thorn. "These improvements reduced breast volume prediction error from 4.2% to 0.1%."
These encouraging results inspired many additional measurement sessions, as breast volume can now be determined quickly and non-invasively, without pain or stress for the participants. The ability to measure accurately and reliably is of great importance to the team, whose projects contribute significantly to improving bra comfort, breast support and reducing breast pain for many women.
"We're trying to encourage companies to think about how to make bras that are more practical, more comfortable and really help women."
Thanks to its outstanding reputation, both nationally and internationally, the research group has the opportunity to collaborate with university communities and fellow scientists, sign specific professional contracts and even run campaigns with sports teams, emphasizing that the bra is a specialized equipment that female athletes should choose according to their needs.
"We're definitely trying to change the perception of the bra and make sure women can choose what's most comfortable and provides the support they need, whether it's for work or sports. I think we're trying to encourage companies to think about how to make a product that's practical, wearable, comfortable – a product that really helps women, not just looks good. I believe the opportunities for this technology to be applied in our field are really huge," concluded Dr. Ricks.
Focusing on providing appropriate solutions for women, the research group is at the forefront of cutting-edge methodologies in this field, proving once again that the ultimate goal of science, technology and innovation is simply to improve people's quality of life.