Optical Device to Improve Eyelid Surgery

Background. Obtaining symmetry is one of the most critical challenges of bilateral blepharoplasty surgery. Current techniques rely on caliper measurements and the “eye” of the surgeon. This is time-consuming and prone to error. There is a need for a precise and cost-effective surgical guide. Objective. The purpose of this experimental study was to design a device to improve the accuracy of markings in blepharoplasty. Methods. The device, a combination of a camera and pico-projector, creates a mirror image of the marked eye that is projected onto the second eye with a light beam. This allows the reference features in the captured image to be overlaid precisely on the respective features in the second eye. The device concept was tested initially on a mannequin and then on eleven human volunteer subjects. No actual surgeries were performed. The accuracy of the markings was assessed by comparing optical images of one eye to another via a specifically designed computer analysis. Results. The results of this study revealed that the accuracy of guided blepharoplasty markings was superior to that of unguided markings. Conclusion. The proposed device has a potential to improve precision of symmetrical surgical marking in blepharoplasty surgery, greatly reduce surgeon’s time and effort, and ultimately contribute to successful patient outcomes and satisfaction. Additional modifications are forthcoming to prepare the device for clinical use.