Wavelength optimized cross-polarized wide-field imaging for noninvasive and rapid evaluation of dermal structures

• Published in: Journal of biophotonics Vol. 8; no. 4; pp. 324 - 331
• Main Authors: Feng, Xin, Patel, Rakesh, Yaroslavsky, Anna N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 01.04.2015; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aging - metabolism; Biomedical materials; Collagen; Collagen - metabolism; Collagens; Histograms; Humans; Imaging; in vivo noninvasive imaging; In vivo testing; In vivo tests; Male; Middle Aged; Optical Imaging - instrumentation; Optical Imaging - methods; Polarization; reflectance; skin; Skin - cytology; Skin - metabolism; Surgical implants; Time Factors; Young Adult; skin; polarization; reflectance; in vivo noninvasive imaging; Collagen
• ISSN: 1864-063X; 1864-0648
• DOI: 10.1002/jbio.201400105

Changes in the morphology of dermal collagen may indicate aging or pathological processes. At present, there is no technology for in vivo real‐time assessment of collagen structures. Our goal was to introduce and validate polarization optical imaging for noninvasive quantitative evaluation of dermal collagen. Seventeen volunteers participated in the study. Cross‐polarized 440 nm images were acquired noninvasively from facial skin of the study subjects. Collagen content and intensity histogram were computed from the optical images. Quantitative results showed a decrease in the collagen content with increasing age of the subjects. Analysis of the collagen image histogram parameters demonstrated decreasing mean pixel value and increasing full width at half maximum (FWHM) with increasing age. Polarization optical imaging has the potential for rapid noninvasive in vivo evaluation of human dermis. Cross‐polarized imaging at different wavelengths emphasizes different features of human skin. (A) Skin photograph. (B) In vivo cross‐polarized image at 440 nm. (C) In vivo cross‐polarized image at 570 nm. (D) In vivo cross‐polarized image at 690 nm. Polarization optical imaging was used for noninvasive quantitative evaluation of dermal collagen. Collagen content and intensity histogram were computed from the optical images of 17 human subjects. Quantitative analysis showed a decrease in collagen content and average pixel value as well as an increase in the full width at half maximum of collagen image histogram with age. The results indicate that polarization optical imaging has potential for noninvasive in vivo evaluation of human dermis.