Imaging laser heated subsurface chromophores in biological materials: determination of lateral physical dimensions.

We describe a non-contact method using infrared radiometry to determine lateral physical dimensions of laser heated subsurface chromophores in biological materials. An imaging equation is derived that relates measured radiometric temperature change to the reduced two-dimensional temperature increase of laser heated chromophores. From measured images of radiometric temperature change, the lateral physical dimensions of chromophores positioned in an in vitro model of human skin are determined by deconvolution of the derived imaging equation using a non-negative constrained conjugate gradient algorithm. Conditions for optimum spatial resolution are found by analysis of a derived radiometric transfer function and correspond to superficial chromophores and/or weak infrared absorption in a laser irradiated biological material. Analysis indicates that if the infrared attenuation coefficient is sufficiently small (i.e., less than 10mm-1), infrared radiometry in combination with a deconvolution algorithm allows estimation of lateral physical dimensions of laser heated subsurface chromophores in human skin.