Distances between facial landmarks can be measured accurately with a new digital 3-dimensional video system.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate a new digital 3-dimensional infrared video system to determine its accuracy, precision, and validity in measuring facial distances.

Methods: Bench experiments were performed by measuring the vertical and diagonal distances of chessboard squares of known length to determine the system's accuracy and precision. To test the system's validity, 16 healthy volunteers participated in this study. Vertical and horizontal distances of the face were measured electronically at rest, and on posed and aggressive smiles. All measurements were repeated after 8 weeks. Direct measurements of the intercanthal distance were obtained twice with calipers.

Results: A minor systematic error was found in the bench experiments, with the highest absolute error of 0.227 +/- 0.39 mm. The analysis with this video system showed good reproducibility of all measured distances when the mean of 2 frames was used to compare distances. Digital measurements of the intercanthal distances showed high agreement with the clinically obtained values.

Conclusions: This digital video system can measure geometric distances in a 3-dimensional environment with high precision. Facial distances can be measured with good accuracy and precision, allowing applications in research and clinical practice.