Unit of Legal Medicine and Toxicology, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via Falloppio 50, 35100 Padova, Italy.
Unit of Legal Medicine, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Zamboni 33, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
Sensors (Basel). 2024 Jan 13;24(2):500. doi: 10.3390/s24020500.
Anthropometric measurements play a crucial role in medico-legal practices. Actually, several scanning technologies are employed in post-mortem investigations for forensic anthropological measurements. This study aims to evaluate the precision, inter-rater reliability, and accuracy of a handheld scanner in measuring various body parts.
Three independent raters measured seven longitudinal distances using an iPad Pro equipped with a LiDAR sensor and specific software. These measurements were statistically compared to manual measurements conducted by an operator using a laser level and a meterstick (considered the gold standard).
The Friedman test revealed minimal intra-rater variability in digital measurements. Inter-rater variability analysis yielded an ICC = 1, signifying high agreement among the three independent raters. Additionally, the accuracy of digital measurements displayed errors below 1.5%.
Preliminary findings demonstrate that the pairing of LiDAR technology with the Polycam app (ver. 3.2.11) and subsequent digital measurements with the MeshLab software (ver. 2022.02) exhibits high precision, inter-rater agreement, and accuracy. Handheld scanners show potential in forensic anthropology due to their simplicity, affordability, and portability. However, further validation studies under real-world conditions are essential to establish the reliability and effectiveness of handheld scanners in medico-legal settings.
人体测量在法医学实践中起着至关重要的作用。实际上，几种扫描技术被用于法医人类学测量的死后调查。本研究旨在评估手持式扫描仪在测量各种身体部位时的精度、组内者间可靠性和准确性。
三位独立的评估者使用配备 LiDAR 传感器和特定软件的 iPad Pro 测量了七个纵向距离。这些测量值与操作员使用激光水准仪和米尺（被认为是金标准）进行的手动测量值进行了统计学比较。
Friedman 检验显示数字测量的组内变异性最小。组内者间变异性分析得出 ICC=1，表明三位独立评估者之间高度一致。此外，数字测量的准确性显示误差低于 1.5%。
初步研究结果表明，LiDAR 技术与 Polycam 应用程序（版本 3.2.11）的结合，以及随后在 MeshLab 软件（版本 2022.02）中进行的数字测量具有高精度、组内者间一致性和准确性。手持式扫描仪因其简单、经济实惠和便携性而在法医人类学中具有潜力。然而，在实际条件下进行进一步的验证研究对于在法医学环境中建立手持式扫描仪的可靠性和有效性至关重要。
