In vivo imaging of human burn injuries with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography.
The accurate determination of burn depth is critical in the clinical management of burn wounds. Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) has been proposed as a potentially non-invasive method for determining burn depth by measuring thermally induced changes in the structure and birefringence of skin, and has been investigated in pre-clinical burn studies with animal models and ex vivo human skin. In this study, we applied PS-OCT to the in-vivo imaging of two pediatric burn patients. Deep and superficial burned skins along with contralateral controls were imaged in 3D. The imaging size was 8 mm × 6 mm × 2 mm in width, length, and depth in the air respectively, and the imaging time was approximately 6 s per volume. Superficially burned skins exhibited the same layered structure as the contralateral controls, but more visible vasculature and reduced birefringence compared to the contralateral controls. In contrast, a deeply burned skin showed loss of the layered structure, almost absent vasculature, and smaller birefringence compared to superficial burns. This study suggested the vasculature and birefringence as parameters for characterizing burn wounds.
Pohang University of Science and Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang 790-784, Republic of Korea. kiheankim@postech.edu
Ki Hean
KH
Kim
Mark C
MC
Pierce
Gopi
G
Maguluri
B Hyle
BH
Park
Sang June
SJ
Yoon
Martha
M
Lydon
Robert
R
Sheridan
Johannes F
JF
de Boer
D001718:Birefringence; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007223:Infant; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization / Q000379:methods*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014945:Wound Healing