The objective of this project is to develop a system which will allow the user to recover three dimensional topographic data from colposcopic images of the cervix. The initial application of the device is to provide real time corrections to area measurements of regions of dysplasia. This types of monitoring is of increasing value in colposcopic examinations and is easy to perform with a variety of systems. Unfortunately most physicians are unaware that conventional 2D area measurement algorithms can introduce substantial errors when applied to a 3D surface, such as the cervix. Some physicians are now using this methodology to make serial measurements of the size of a cervical lesion to guide treatment decisions. It is, therefore, important that the measurement be performed properly and accurately. The proposed system will accomplish this goal. The approach is to project a known source of illumination on the cervix and apply a mathematical analysis to determine the 3D topography of the tissue in the field of view. To accomplish this, it is necessary to obtain real reflectance models for the human cervix; this is a major task of the Phase II project. Using these data, corrections are then applied to the area measurement algorithm to take into account the shape of the cervix and the specific angle at which it is viewed during the current examination. This is an innovative new application of a recently developed methodology. Its commercial potential is considered good because it is a simple, low cost system which improves patient diagnoses and reduces the considerable physician liability inherent in currently configured systems.
