title: The occlusion effects in capacitive contact imaging for in vivo skin damage assessments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the occlusion effects in capacitive contact imaging, and to develop a new quantitative methodology for in vivo skin assessments using capacitive contact imaging and condenser-TEWL (transepidermal water loss) method.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two measurement technologies were used in this study, i.e., capacitive contact imaging and condenser-TEWL method. Three types of skin damages were studied, intensive washes, tape stripping and sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) irritation. The test skin sites were chosen on the volar forearms of healthy volunteers (aged 25-45); the measurements were taken both before and periodically after the damages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that the time-dependent occlusion curves of the capacitive contact imaging can reflect the types of damages, and by analysing the shapes of the curves, we can get information about the skin surface water content level and stratum corneum thickness. The results also show that the combination of capacitive contact imaging and condenser-TEWL method gives extra information about the skin damages, such as the types of the damages and status of the damages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have developed a potential new quantitative methodology for skin damage assessments using capacitive contact imaging and condenser-TEWL method. The combination of the two technologies can provide useful information for skin damage assessments. We have also developed a mathematical model for analysing the occlusion curves.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London, SE1 0AA, UK.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London, SE1 0AA, UK.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AX, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London, SE1 0AA, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects*; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate
keywords: capacitive contact imaging; skin damage assessments; skin hydration; skin occlusion; transepidermal water loss