A VISION-BASED TECHNIQUE FOR OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF BURN SCARS

In this paper a method for the objective assessment of burn scars is p roposed. The quantitative measures developed in this research provide an objective way to calculate elastic properties of burn scars relativ e to the surrounding areas, The approach combines range data and the m echanics and motion dynamics of human tissues. Active contours are emp loyed to locate regions of interest and to find displacements of featu re points using automatically established correspondences, Changes in strain distribution over time are evaluated, Given images at two time instances and their corresponding features, the finite element method Is used to synthesize strain distributions of the underlying tissues, This results in a physically based framework for motion and strain ana lysis. Relative elasticity of the burn scar is then recovered using it erative descent search for the best nonlinear finite element model tha t approximates stretching behavior of the region containing the burn s car, The results from the skin elasticity experiments illustrate the a bility to objectively detect differences in elasticity between normal and abnormal tissue, These estimated differences in elasticity are cor related against the subjective judgments of physicians that are presen tly the practice.