Computer-assisted three-dimensional surgical planning and simulation: 3D color facial model generation

A scheme for texture mapping a 3D individualized color photo-realistic faci al model from real color portraits and CT data is described. First, 3D CT i mages including both soft and hard tissues should be reconstructed from seq uential CT slices, using a surface rendering technique. Facial features are extracted from 3D soft tissue. A generic mesh is individualized by corresp ondence matching and interpolation from those feature vertices. Three digit ized color portraits with the "third" dimension from reconstructed soft tis sue are blended and texture-mapped onto the 3D head model (mesh). A color s imulated human head generated from frontal, right and left real color portr aits can be viewed from an arbitrary angle in an inexpensive and user-frien dly conventional personal computer. This scheme is the basic procedure in 3 D computer-assisted simulation surgery.