This paper presents the combination of phase sensitive optical coherence tomography (PhS-OCT) imaging system and surface wave method to achieve quantitative evaluation and elastography of the mechanical properties of in vivo human skin. PhS-OCT measures the surface acoustic waves (SAWs) generated by impulse stimulation from a home-made shaker, and provide the B-frame images for the sample. The surface wave phase velocity dispersion curves were calculated, from which the elasticity of different skin layers were determined. The combination of phase velocities from adjacent two locations generates a quantitative elastography of sample. The experimental results agree well with theoretical expectations and may offer potential use in clinical situations.

Date Published: 30 January 2012
PDF: 4 pages
Proc. SPIE 8213, Optical Coherence Tomography and Coherence Domain Optical Methods in Biomedicine XVI, 82132E (30 January 2012); doi: 10.1117/12.910985

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8213:
Optical Coherence Tomography and Coherence Domain Optical Methods in Biomedicine XVI
Joseph A. Izatt; James G. Fujimoto; Valery V. Tuchin, Editor(s)