Evaluation of peripheral vasodilative indices in skin tissue of type 1 diabetic rats by use of RGB images

Optical Review - We investigated a method to evaluate the arterial inflow and the venous capacitance in the skin tissue of streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic rats from RGB digital color images....     

Noninvasive spectral imaging of skin chromophores based on multiple regression analysis aided by Monte Carlo simulation

In order to visualize melanin and blood concentrations and oxygen saturation in human skin tissue, a simple imaging technique based on multispectral diffuse reflectance images acquired at six wavelengths (500, 520, 540, 560, 580 and 600 nm) was developed. The technique utilizes multiple regression analysis aided by Monte Carlo simulation for diffuse reflectance spectra. Using the absorbance spectrum as a response variable and the extinction coefficients of melanin, oxygenated hemoglobin, and deoxygenated hemoglobin as predictor variables, multiple regression analysis provides regression coefficients. Concentrations of melanin and total blood are then determined from the regression coefficients using conversion vectors that are deduced numerically in advance, while oxygen saturation is obtained directly from the regression coefficients. Experiments with a tissue-like agar gel phantom validated the method. In vivo experiments with human skin of the human hand during upper limb occlusion and of the inner forearm exposed to UV irradiation demonstrated the ability of the method to evaluate physiological reactions of human skin tissue.     

A method for operative quantitative interpretation of multispectral images of biological tissues

A method for operative retrieval of spatial distributions of biophysical parameters of a biological tissue by using a multispectral image of it has been developed. The method is based on multiple regressions between linearly independent components of the diffuse reflection spectrum of the tissue and unknown parameters. Possibilities of the method are illustrated by an example of determining biophysical parameters of the skin (concentrations of melanin, hemoglobin and bilirubin, blood oxygenation, and scattering coefficient of the tissue). Examples of quantitative interpretation of the experimental data are presented.     

Depth visualization of a local blood region in skin tissue by use of diffuse reflectance images

A simple method is proposed for visualizing the depth distribution of a local blood region in skin tissue by using diffuse reflectance images at two isosbestic wavelengths of hemoglobin, 420 and 585 nm. Monte Carlo simulation of light transport specifies a relation between optical densities and the depth of the region under given concentrations of melanin in the epidermis and blood in the dermis. Phantom and in vivo experiments were performed to show the usefulness of the method.     

Estimation of Absorbing Components in a Local Layer Embedded in the Turbid Media on the Basis of Visible to Near- Infrared (VIS-NIR) Reflectance Spectra

A new method is studied for estimating the hemoglobin concentration and oxygenation of a local blood layer in a human skin tissue model on the basis of visible and near infrared reflectance spectra. This method uses the iterative Monte Carlo technique for a multi-layered skin tissue model. The numerical simulation was performed to investigate the effects of estimation errors for epidermis and dermis layers on the results for the local blood layer. Experiments with skin tissue phantoms were performed to verify the possibility of this method.     

Absorption spectra and light penetration depth of normal and pathologically altered human skin

A three-layered skin model (stratum corneum, epidermis, and dermis) and engineering formulas for radiative transfer theory are used to study absorption spectra and light penetration depths of normal and pathologically altered skin. The formulas include small-angle and asymptotic approximations and a layer-addition method. These characteristics are calculated for wavelengths used for low-intensity laser therapy. We examined several pathologies such as vitiligo, edema, erythematosus lupus, and subcutaneous wound, for which the bulk concentrations of melanin and blood vessels or tissue structure (for subcutaneous wound) change compared with normal skin. The penetration depth spectrum is very similar to the inverted blood absorption spectrum. In other words, the depth is minimal at blood absorption maxima. The calculated absorption spectra enable the power and irradiation wavelength providing the required light effect to be selected. Relationships between the penetration depth and the diffuse reflectance coefficient of skin (unambiguously expressed through the absorption coefficient) are analyzed at different wavelengths. This makes it possible to find relationships between the light fields inside and outside the tissue. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii Vol. 74, No. 3, pp. 387–394, May–June, 2007.     

Method for noninvasive determination of hemoglobin content in biological tissues

We have developed a simple and efficient method for determining the hemoglobin concentration in biological tissues, based on spatially resolved measurements of the diffuse reflectance of the tissue at λ = 524, 578, and 662 nm (or 773 nm) using multiple regressions between the measured parameters and the hemoglobin concentrations. The method takes into account the presence in the blood of the major hemoglobin derivatives (oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, carboxyhemoglobin, and methemoglobin) and eliminates the effect of the parameters of the top layer of the biological tissue (for example, the epidermis of the skin) and the bulk scattering coefficient of the tissue on the measurement results. Based on numerical Monte Carlo experiments, we have estimated the uncertainties in determining the hemoglobin concentration in skin tissues when its structural and biochemical parameters are all variable.     

Assessment of tissue viability by polarization spectroscopy

A new and versatile method for tissue viability imaging based on polarization spectroscopy of blood in superficial tissue structures such as the skin is presented in this paper. Linearly polarized light in the visible wavelength region is partly reflected directly by the skin surface and partly diffusely backscattered from the dermal tissue matrix. Most of the directly reflected light preserves its polarization state while the light returning from the deeper tissue layers is depolarized. By the use of a polarization filter positioned in front of a sensitive CCD-array, the light directly reflected from the tissue surface is blocked, while the depolarized light returning from the deeper tissue layers reaches the detector array. By separating the colour planes of the detected image, spectroscopic information about the amount of red blood cells (RBCs) in the microvascular network of the tissue under investigation can be derived. A theory that utilizes the differences in light absorption of RBCs and bloodless tissue in the red and green wavelength region forms the basis of an algorithm for displaying a colour coded map of the RBC distribution in a tissue. Using a fluid model, a linear relationship (cc. = 0.99) between RBC concentration and the output signal was demonstrated within the physiological range 0–4%. In-vivo evaluation using transepidermal application of acetylcholine by the way of iontophoresis displayed the heterogeneity pattern of the vasodilatation produced by the vasoactive agent. Applications of this novel technology are likely to be found in drug and skin care product development as well as in the assessment of skin irritation and tissue repair processes and even ultimately in a clinic case situation.     

A method of online quantitative interpretation of diffuse reflection profiles of biological tissues

We have developed a method of combined interpretation of spectral and spatial characteristics of diffuse reflection of biological tissues, which makes it possible to determine biophysical parameters of the tissue with a high accuracy in real time under conditions of their general variability. Using the Monte Carlo method, we have modeled a statistical ensemble of profiles of diffuse reflection coefficients of skin, which corresponds to a wave variation of its biophysical parameters. On its basis, we have estimated the retrieval accuracy of biophysical parameters using the developed method and investigated the stability of the method to errors of optical measurements. We have showed that it is possible to determine online the concentrations of melanin, hemoglobin, bilirubin, oxygen saturation of blood, and structural parameters of skin from measurements of its diffuse reflection in the spectral range 450–800 nm at three distances between the radiation source and detector.     

Estimation of the spectral absorption of light by components of human skin

The spectra of the absorption coefficients of external radiation by basic chromophores of human skin, such as melanin, basic tissue, and blood (including oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin), are studied in the wavelength range of 300–1000 nm. For estimates, analytical methods of the theory of light transfer are used, which take into account the multilayer structure of a biological tissue, multiple light scattering in a medium, and multiple rereflections of radiation between layers. The calculated spectra are compared with the wavelength dependences of the absorption indices of these components available from the literature. It is shown that the spectral behaviors of the coefficients and indices of absorption strongly differ, which is related to the selectivity of the optical properties of a biological tissue. The possibilities of predicting the absorption coefficients of the skin components from the absorption coefficient of the entire skin measured under conditions of variation of its biophysical parameters (the volume concentrations of melanin and blood vessels) over a wide range are evaluated.     

A blood vessel exposed to ultrasound: a mathematical simulation of the temperature field

In this article we present a mathematical simulation of the temperature field in and around a blood vessel when it is sonicated by a focused ultrasound beam. A simplified geometry is considered: a cylindrical blood vessel is embedded in tissue parallel to a flat skin surface. The ultrasound transducer is placed on the skin above the blood vessel, perpendicular to the skin surface. The 3D geometry of the problem is simplified by transformation, which maps the domain into a parallelepiped. A computational algorithm and computer program were developed. The simulation provides the conditions for successful occlusion of a blood vessel and demonstrates the significant role of the blood flow rate on the temperature difference between the vessel wall and the surrounding tissue. Comparing the predictions with published experimental data tested the validity of the method.     

Noninvasive imaging of in vivo blood flow velocity using optical Doppler tomography

We report the development of an optical technique for noninvasive imaging of in vivo blood flow dynamics and tissue structures with high spatial resolution (2-10 microm) in biological systems. The technique is based on optical Doppler tomography (ODT), which combines Doppler velocimetry with optical coherence tomography to measure blood flow velocity at discrete spatial locations. The exceptionally high resolution of ODT permits noninvasive in vivo imaging of both blood microcirculation and tissue structures surrounding the vessel, which has significance for biomedical research and clinical applications. Tomographic imaging of in vivo blood flow velocity in the chick chorioallantoic membrane and in rodent skin is demonstrated.     

Estimation of Bluish Appearance of Veins in Skin Tissue Using Spectrocolorimetry

The bluish appearance of veins in the skin tissue was experimentally investigated by in vivo and in vitro spectrophotometric measurements. Color of the skin surface including the veins was quantitatively evaluated by employing color perception on the basis of CIEXYZ and CIELAB colorimetric systems. For in vivo measurements, the bluish appearance of veins was successfully estimated using a dominant wavelength, excitation purity, and color difference. Results of in vitro experiments using a simple skin tissue model demonstrated that the degree of bluish appearance depends on the vessel depth, diameter, and the blood content in the surrounding medium.     

Evaluation of light scattering properties and chromophore concentrations in skin tissue based on diffuse reflectance signals at isosbestic wavelengths of hemoglobin

Optical Review - We investigate a method to evaluate light-scattering properties and chromophore concentrations in human skin tissue through diffuse reflectance spectroscopy using the reflectance...     

皮肤组织容积脉搏波400~1000 nm光谱特性仿真研究

根据皮肤组织解剖结构特性建立了六层层状模型,并给出了皮肤组织各层的特性参数;考虑了氧合血红蛋白和还原血红蛋白的吸收特性,依据皮肤组织各层的水、血、脂肪、血氧饱和度含量以及血管大小给出了皮肤组织各层的光谱吸收系数;对不同波长散射系数做了适当简化,给出了皮肤组织各层的光谱散射系数。利用蒙特卡罗方法仿真血管组织在收缩与舒张两种状态下, 400~1 000 nm波长光在皮肤组织多层模型中的传输过程,并通过统计大量光子的分布特性,获得了皮肤组织光谱反射系数,并利用模拟所得的两种状态下的反射系数计算得到了光谱容积脉搏波幅度。仿真结果表明,当入射光强一定时,绿光的容积脉搏波幅度优于红光和蓝光。通过计算不同波长光沿皮肤组织深度方向光能流率衰减为1/e时对应的皮肤组织深度,获得了皮肤组织光谱穿透深度。结果显示,血管舒张状态下蓝光和绿光的穿透深度较小,蓝光大部分只能达到表皮层,绿光能到达微循环层,红光可直达真皮层。考虑到光在皮肤组织中传播包含了一个从收缩到舒张的动态过程,基于此,根据穿透深度定义了脉搏波信号产生深度,利用血管舒张与收缩两种不同状态下的穿透深度计算得到了光谱产生深度。结果表明,不同波长光产生深度大于其穿透深度,蓝光产生深度较浅,且其受到的血液吸收调制较小,因而其获得的脉搏信号易受噪声干扰;红光的容积脉搏波产生深度较大,但是相比于绿光其受血液吸收调制较小,且绿光产生深度足够达到真皮血管层,因而红光容积脉搏波的幅度小于绿光。上述仿真结果明确了皮肤组织部分光谱特性,为皮肤组织多光谱容积脉搏波的精确获取及其他相关研究提供了一定的理论基础。     

皮肤组织血液含量对皮肤光谱的影响

在分析皮肤组织结构、皮肤荧光光谱与反射光谱产生机制的基础上,改变皮肤真皮上、下血管丛的血液含量,依此建立相应的皮肤六层光学模型,并进行 Monte Carlo模拟计算。结果表明：皮肤荧光光谱与反射光谱均可反映皮肤组织内血液含量的变化;皮肤的真皮上层血管丛的血液含量对光谱强度的影响大,深部血管丛血液含量对光谱强度的影响小;荧光光谱和反射光谱可用于探测或分析皮肤组织中血液含量的变化,特别可能用于真皮上层血管血液病变的皮肤疾病的病患程度及治疗效果的检测。     

Comparison of Telomere Length of Vocal Folds With Different Tissues: A Physiological Measurement of Vocal Senescence

The objective of this article is to determine telomere length, a measure of biological age, in true vocal fold (TVF), false vocal fold (FVF), and five other tissue types, to ascertain whether there is tissue-specific telomere shortening. The study design is that of a prospective, basic science study. Tissue samples were obtained from the TVF, FVF, skin from the back of hand, skin from thigh, aorta, blood, and bone marrow from 12 patients ages 54 to 76 years. Genomic DNA was isolated from each sample, and telomere lengths were calculated with real-time polymerase chain reaction. In our small age group, age was not significantly associated with telomere length across tissue types, nor were there any linear correlations within tissue types and age. Controlling for age, significant differences were found between the following tissues: aorta and blood (P < 0.000), aorta and bone marrow (P = 0.033), aorta and FVF (P = 0.015), aorta and hand skin (P = 0.004), blood and thigh skin (P = 0.012), and blood and TVF (P = 0.048). A significant linear correlation between telomere length and tissue type without considering donor age was established between bone marrow and hand skin (P < 0.05, R2 = 0.766), thigh skin and hand skin (P < 0.01, R2 = 0.926), TVF and blood (P < 0.01, R2 = 0.836), and thigh skin and TVF (P < 0.05, R2 = 0.624). Our findings indicate that surrogate tissue for measurement of telomere length of TVF includes FVF, bone marrow, skin, and aorta. These findings have implications for understanding vocal fold aging at the cellular level.     

Noninvasive monitoring of glucose concentration with optical coherence tomography

We have proposed a tested in tissue phantoms and in vivo a novel sensor based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) for noninvasive and continuous monitoring of blood glucose concentration. OCT images were obtained from pig and rabbit skin before and after glucose administration. Slopes of OCT signals decreased substantially (~40% in tissues in vivo) and linearly with the increase of blood glucose concentration from 4 to 30 mM, typical for normal and diabetic subjects. Phantom studies demonstrated 1% accuracy of scattering-coefficient measurement. Our theoretical and experimental studies suggest that glucose concentration can potentially be measured noninvasively with high sensitivity and accuracy with OCT systems.     

利用Matlab实现RGB三基色法测量细丝直径

基于衍射原理,实现RGB三基色法测量细丝直径。先通过实验得到细丝衍射图像,然后利用Matlab编写程序及设计界面处理RGB图像,最终计算出细丝直径。测量结果与其他方法相比具有测量精度高、速度快、非接触、使用方便等特点。     

Frame-rate analysis of arterial blood flow in human and rat using laser speckle image sensing

In imaging of blood flow by means of a laser speckle technique, we have proposed so far an estimation parameter based on the spatial contrast of speckle patterns observed for the blood flow in skin tissue and a blood vessel. This parameter enable us to image a relative blood flow distribution from a single speckle pattern, thus, it analyzes the blood flow with a frame-rate of an imaging device used. In this study, we investigated availability of this parameter for detecting changes in arterial blood flow caused by medication and cold stimulation to the skin tissue. Experiments were conducted for an anesthetized rat and a human wrist to confirm the feasibility of the present parameter.