Baran Utku, Li Yuandong, Choi Woo June, Kalkan Goknur, Wang Ruikang K
Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
Lasers Surg Med. 2015 Mar;47(3):231-8. doi: 10.1002/lsm.22339. Epub 2015 Mar 5.
Acne is a common skin disease that often leads to scarring. Collagen and other tissue damage from the inflammation of acne give rise to permanent skin texture and microvascular changes. In this study, we demonstrate the capabilities of optical coherence tomography-based microangiography in detecting high-resolution, three-dimensional structural, and microvascular features of in vivo human facial skin during acne lesion initiation and scar development.
A real time swept source optical coherence tomography system is used in this study to acquire volumetric images of human skin. The system operates on a central wavelength of 1,310 nm with an A-line rate of 100 kHz, and with an extended imaging range (∼12 mm in air). The system uses a handheld imaging probe to image acne lesion on a facial skin of a volunteer. We utilize optical microangiography (OMAG) technique to evaluate the changes in microvasculature and tissue structure.
Thanks to the high sensitivity of OMAG, we are able to image microvasculature up to capillary level and visualize the remodeled vessels around the acne lesion. Moreover, vascular density change derived from OMAG measurement is provided as an alternative biomarker for the assessment of human skin diseases. In contrast to other techniques like histology or microscopy, our technique made it possible to image 3D tissue structure and microvasculature up to 1.5 mm depth in vivo without the need of exogenous contrast agents.
The presented results are promising to facilitate clinical trials aiming to treat acne lesion scarring, as well as other prevalent skin diseases, by detecting cutaneous blood flow and structural changes within human skin in vivo.
痤疮是一种常见的皮肤病，常导致瘢痕形成。痤疮炎症引起的胶原蛋白和其他组织损伤会导致永久性的皮肤质地和微血管变化。在本研究中，我们展示了基于光学相干断层扫描的微血管造影在检测痤疮病变起始和瘢痕形成过程中体内人面部皮肤的高分辨率、三维结构和微血管特征方面的能力。
本研究使用实时扫频源光学相干断层扫描系统获取人体皮肤的体积图像。该系统的中心波长为1310nm，A线速率为100kHz，成像范围扩展（空气中约12mm）。该系统使用手持成像探头对一名志愿者面部皮肤上的痤疮病变进行成像。我们利用光学微血管造影（OMAG）技术评估微血管和组织结构的变化。
由于OMAG的高灵敏度，我们能够对直至毛细血管水平的微血管进行成像，并可视化痤疮病变周围重塑的血管。此外，通过OMAG测量得出的血管密度变化可作为评估人类皮肤疾病的替代生物标志物。与组织学或显微镜等其他技术不同，我们的技术能够在体内对深度达1.5mm的三维组织结构和微血管进行成像，而无需使用外源性造影剂。
所呈现的结果有望通过检测体内人体皮肤内的皮肤血流和结构变化，促进旨在治疗痤疮病变瘢痕以及其他常见皮肤病的临床试验。
