Design and development of portable handheld multimodal spectroscopic probe system for skin tissue analysis.

The potential of optical spectroscopic techniques such as diffused reflectance and fluorescence as non-invasive, in vivo diagnostic tools is being explored and validated recently. In this paper, we present the design and development of a handheld, portable, multimodal fiber optic based probe scheme to sequentially measure diffuse reflectance and fluorescence. The proposed prototype is designed to sequentially acquire diffused reflectance in the broad wavelength range of 400 nm-1600 nm and fluorescence using custom-chosen spectrophotometers, monochromatic and broadband light sources, fibers to accommodate a wide wavelength range, custom-built probe distal end, and a real-time spectral stitching and display unit. The prototype is characterized using in-house fabricated phantom tissue samples with tunable optical properties such as scattering and absorption. The depth profile study is carried out using phantom tissue layers of known optical parameters followed by the sequential measurement of diffused reflectance and fluorescence from the tissue mimicking sample.

Size-dependent surface plasmon resonance in silver silica nanocomposites.

Silver silica nanocomposites were obtained by the sol-gel technique using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and silver nitrate (AgNO(3)) as precursors. The silver nitrate concentration was varied for obtaining composites with different nanoparticle sizes. The structural and microstructural properties were determined by x-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) studies were done for determining the chemical states of silver in the silica matrix. For the lowest AgNO(3) concentration, monodispersed and spherical Ag crystallites, with an average diameter of 5 nm, were obtained. Grain growth and an increase in size distribution was observed for higher concentrations. The occurrence of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands and their evolution in the size range 5-10 nm is studied. For decreasing nanoparticle size, a redshift and broadening of the plasmon-related absorption peak was observed. The observed redshift and broadening of the SPR band was explained using modified Mie scattering theory.