For the analysis of physical configuration of facial soft tissue, an automatic system for taking standardized photographs of a face at five different angles has been developed.
This system consists of;
1) the head-holding unit with ear rods,
2) the chair with height adjustment and rotation mechanisms,
3) the electronic control system,
4) the single-lens reflex camera, and
5) the background screen.
The head of a patient will be fixed by ear rods inserted to the ear holes at the position that the Frankfort horizontal plane parallels the floor level.
The focal distance for photographing is 1. 5 meter from the center of the line connecting the ear rods which is equal to the distance from the anode to the midsagittal plane of roentgenographic cephalometry.
Photographs are automatically taken in sequence at angles of 0 (full face), 90° & 45° to the left, and 45° & 90° to the right.
At the front angle, when the exposure button is pressed and the photograph is taken, the chair automatically turns to the next angle. Thus, five standardized photographs in sequence at different angles can be taken.
The comparison of pre- and post-operative facial configurations can be done by examining these photos, and quantative comparison of the face at five different angles is also available.
