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A new technique for the investigation of microvascular tissue blood concentration is presented, based on the method of polarisation spectroscopy of blood in superficial skin tissue. Linearly polarised light incident on the skin is partly reflected by the surface layers, and partly backscattered from the dermal tissue. Use of orthogonal polarisation filters over both a light source and a CCD suppresses the reflections from the surface, and only the depolarised light backscattered from the dermal matrix reaches the CCD array. By separating the colour planes of an image acquired in this manner and applying a dedicated image processing algorithm, spectroscopic information about the amount of red blood cells (RBCs) in the underlying area of tissue can be discovered. The algorithm incorporates theory that utilises the differences in light absorption of RBCs and dermal tissue in the red and green wavelength regions. In vitro fluid models compare well to computer simulations in describing a linear relationship between output signal (called TiViindex) and RBC concentration in the physiological range of 0%-4%. In vivo evaluation of the technique via transepidermal application of acetylcholine by iontophoresis displayed a heterogeneity pattern of vasodilation, which is typical of the vasoactive agent. Extension of the technique to capture and process continuous real-time data creates a new possibility of online real-time image processing. Application of tissue viability (TiVi) imaging include skin care products and drug development, as well as investigations of microvascular angiogenesis.
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