Full-depth epidermis tomography using a Mirau-based full-field optical coherence tomography

Chien-Chung Tsai; Chia-Kai Chang; Kuang-Yu Hsu; Tuan-Shu Ho; Ming-Yi Lin; Jeng-Wei Tjiu; Sheng-Lung Huang

doi:10.1364/BOE.5.003001

Full-depth epidermis tomography using a Mirau-based full-field optical coherence tomography

Biomed Opt Express. 2014 Aug 8;5(9):3001-10. doi: 10.1364/BOE.5.003001. eCollection 2014 Sep 1.

Authors

Chien-Chung Tsai¹, Chia-Kai Chang¹, Kuang-Yu Hsu¹, Tuan-Shu Ho¹, Ming-Yi Lin², Jeng-Wei Tjiu³, Sheng-Lung Huang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
² Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
³ Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan ; jengweitjiu@gmail.com.
⁴ Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan ; Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.

Abstract

With a Gaussian-like broadband light source from high brightness Ce(3+):YAG single-clad crystal fiber, a full-field optical coherence tomography using a home-designed Mirau objective realized high quality images of in vivo and excised skin tissues. With a 40 × silicone-oil-immersion Mirau objective, the achieved spatial resolutions in axial and lateral directions were 0.9 and 0.51 μm, respectively. Such a high spatial resolution enables the separation of lamellar structure of the full epidermis in both the cross-sectional and en face planes. The number of layers of stratum corneum and its thickness were quantitatively measured. This label free and non-invasive optical probe could be useful for evaluating the water barrier of skin tissue in clinics. As a preliminary in vivo experiment, the blood vessel in dermis was also observed, and the flowing of the red blood cells and location of the melanocyte were traced.

Keywords: (060.2380) Fiber optics sources and detectors; (160.1435) Biomaterials; (170.3880) Medical and biological imaging; (170.4500) Optical coherence tomography; (180.3170) Interference microscopy.