In vivo stiffness measurement of epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis using broadband Rayleigh-wave optical coherence elastography.

ABSTRACT: Traveling-wave optical coherence elastography (OCE) is a promising technique to measure the stiffness of biological tissues. While OCE has been applied to relatively homogeneous samples, tissues with significantly varying elasticity through depth pose a challenge, requiring depth-resolved measurement with sufficient resolution and accuracy. Here, we develop a broadband Rayleigh-wave OCE technique capable of measuring the elastic moduli of the 3 major skin layers (epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis) reliably by analyzing the dispersion of leaky Rayleigh surface waves over a wide frequency range of 0.1-10 kHz. We show that a previously unexplored, high frequency range of 4-10 kHz is critical to resolve the thin epidermis, while a low frequency range of 0.2-1 kHz is adequate to probe the dermi

SUBMITTER: Feng X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11878153 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature