Schmitt J M, Yadlowsky M J, Bonner R F
Biomedical Engineering and Instrumentation Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Dermatology. 1995;191(2):93-8. doi: 10.1159/000246523.
A new type of microscope has been developed for acquiring cross-sectional images of living skin noninvasively. It takes advantage of the short temporal coherence of a broad-band light source to reject scattered light. Because this microscope is still in an early stage of development, its potential as a diagnostic tool in dermatology has not yet been determined.
This study was designed to explore potential applications of optical coherence microscopy in dermatology. The aim was to investigate the structures in skin that can be seen without staining or using sophisticated image-processing methods.
A prototype fiberoptic microscope was assembled that uses a 1,300-nm light-emitting diode as a light source. Scans were obtained from the skin on the index finger and forearm. Subsurface structures were identified based on knowledge of the anatomy of normal healthy skin.
Structures located as deep as 1 mm below the surface of the skin could be imaged with a resolution of about 10 microns in the axial and lateral dimensions. In optical slices taken perpendicular to the skin surface, the contours of the epidermal ridges and the boundary between the epidermis and dermis were readily observed.
The results of this study suggest that an optical coherence microscope may have value as a diagnostic tool for cases in which visualization of subcellular details is not required. The resolution, contrast and scanning speed of the microscope need to be improved.
已开发出一种新型显微镜，用于无创获取活体皮肤的横截面图像。它利用宽带光源的短时间相干性来排除散射光。由于这种显微镜仍处于开发的早期阶段，其在皮肤科作为诊断工具的潜力尚未确定。
本研究旨在探索光学相干显微镜在皮肤科的潜在应用。目的是研究无需染色或使用复杂图像处理方法就能看到的皮肤结构。
组装了一台原型光纤显微镜，使用1300纳米发光二极管作为光源。从食指和前臂的皮肤上获取扫描图像。根据正常健康皮肤的解剖学知识识别皮下结构。
可以对位于皮肤表面以下1毫米深处的结构进行成像，轴向和横向分辨率约为10微米。在垂直于皮肤表面的光学切片中，很容易观察到表皮嵴的轮廓以及表皮与真皮之间的边界。
本研究结果表明，对于不需要亚细胞细节可视化的病例，光学相干显微镜可能具有作为诊断工具的价值。该显微镜的分辨率、对比度和扫描速度需要提高。
