Elastic scattering spectroscopy for monitoring skin cancer transformation and therapy in the near infrared window.

There is a pressing need for monitoring cancerous tissue response to laser therapy. In this work, we evaluate the viability of elastic scattering spectroscopy (ESS) to monitor malignant transformations and effects of laser therapy of induced skin cancer in a hamster model. Skin tumors were induced in 35 mice, half of which were irradiated with 980 nm laser diode. Physiological and morphological transformations in the tumor were monitored over a period of 36 weeks using elastic scattering spectroscopy, in the near infrared window. Analytical model for light scattering was used to derive scattering optical properties for both transformed tissue and laser-treated cancer. The tissue scattering over the wavelength range (700-950 nm) decreased remarkably as the carcinogen-induced tissue transformed towards higher stages. Conversely, reduced scattering coefficient noticeably increased with increasing the number of laser irradiation sessions for the treated tumors. The relative changes in elastic scattering signal for transformed tissue were significantly different (p < .05). Elastic scattering signal intensity for laser-treated tissue was also significantly different (p < .05). Reduced scattering coefficient of treated tissue exhibited nearly 80% recovery of its normal skin value at the end of the experiment, and the treatment outcome could be improved by adjusting the number of sessions, which we can predict through spectroscopic optical feedback. This study demonstrates that ESS can quantitatively provide functional information that closely corresponds to the degree of pathologic transformation. ESS may well be a viable technique to optimize systemic melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer treatment based on noninvasive tumor response.

Mapping of healthy oral mucosal tissue using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy: ratiometric-based total hemoglobin comparative study.

The objective of this study is to clinically evaluate the diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) ratiometric method for differentiation of normal oral mucosal tissues with different histological natures and vascularizations in the oral cavity. Twenty-one healthy patients aged 20-44 years were diagnosed as healthy and probed with a portable DRS system. Diffuse reflectance spectra were recorded in vivo in the range (450-650 nm). In this study, the following three oral mucosal tissues were considered: masticatory mucosa, lining mucosa, and specialized mucosa. Spectral features based on spectral intensity ratios were determined at five specific wavelengths (512, 540, 558, 575, and 620 nm). Total hemoglobin based on spectral ratios for the three anatomical regions have also been evaluated. The three studied groups representing different anatomical regions in the oral cavity were compared using analysis of variance and post hoc least significant difference tests. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference in the mean of diffuse spectral ratios between the groups (P < 0.05). Post hoc test detected significant difference between masticatory mucosa group and lining mucosa group (P < 0.05) and between masticatory mucosa group and specialized mucosa group (P = 0.000, at ratio 558/620 and P = 0.000, at ratio 575/620). Significant difference was also found between the lining mucosa group and specialized mucosa group (P = 0.000, at ratio 512/558 and P = 0.000, at ratio 512/575). It has also been shown that spectral ratios at wavelengths 558, 575, and 620 nm reveal the greatest difference among the main oral sites in terms of total hemoglobin content. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy might be used for creating a DRS databank of normal oral mucosal tissue with specific spectral ratios featuring the total hemoglobin concentrations. That would further enhance the discrimination of oral tissue for examining the histological nature of oral mucosa and diagnosis of early precancerous changes in the oral cavity based on non-invasive monitoring of neovascularization.

Diffuse transmittance visible spectroscopy using smartphone flashlight for photoplethysmography and vital signs measurements.

Photoplethysmography (PPG), with its wide range of applications, has become one of the most promising modalities for healthcare monitoring technology. In this work, we present a new PPG measurement technique based on diffuse transmittance spectroscopy (DTS) with the help of a smartphone built-in flashlight as an alternative broadband light source. The blood Volume Pulse (BVP) signal was extracted from recorded transmittance spectra at 620 nm. The results were compared with the ground truth and conventional contact finger PPG sensors. A very high correlation was found between the diffuse transmittance signal and the reference PPG signals (r = 0.997, p < 0.0001). The accuracy and root mean square error (RMSE) were 99.23% and 0.8 bpm, respectively. In addition, a Bland-Altman analysis showed a good agreement between both techniques, with a very small bias between mean paired differences of heart rate observations. A simple forward model for diffuse transmittance spectra for different levels of blood oxygen saturation is developed and supported by experimental measurements. It was also found that blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) can be estimated with the aid of DTS based smartphone flash by tracking the wavelength corresponding to the oxygenation level in the visible range between orange and red regions of the visible spectrum particularly in the range between 610 and 635 nm for 26 healthy subjects. 624 nm on average seems to be the wavelength that corresponds with the normal blood oxygenation level. These findings show the potential of DTS PPG to reliably extract cardiac frequency and estimate SpO2 with adequate accuracy. The results also demonstrate the capability of smartphone flash as a miniature visible light source for recording multispectral PPG signals and quantifying vital signs in the transmission mode at the fingertip with acceptable signal quality over a wide range of wavelengths from 550 nm to 650 nm.

Laser spectroscopic method for remote sensing of respiratory rate.

Noncontact sensing methods for measuring vital signs have recently gained interest, particularly for long-term monitoring. This study introduces a new method for measuring respiratory rate remotely. The proposed method is based on the reflection of a laser beam off a striped card attached to a moving platform simulating chest wall displacements. A wide range of frequencies (n = 35) from 0.06 to 2.2 Hz corresponding to both normal and pathological human respiratory rates were simulated using a moving mechanical platform. Reflected spectra (n = 105) were collected by a spectrometer in a dynamic mode. Fourier analysis was performed to retrieve the breathing frequency. The results show a striking agreement between measurements and reference frequencies. The results also show that low frequencies corresponding to respiratory rates can be detected with high accuracy (uncertainty is well below 5%). A validation test of the measuring method on a human subject demonstrated a great potential for remote respiration rate monitoring of adults and neonates in a clinical environment.

Feasibility of 830 nm laser imaging for vein localization in dark skin tissue-mimicking phantoms.

Accessing blood vessels by medical professionals has been a challenge in healthcare centers worldwide. The main objective of this work is to investigate the localization of blood vessels in dark skin based on near infrared laser imaging. An 830 nm diode laser was used as a light source to irradiate dark skin mimicking optical phantoms. Phantoms were constructed to simulate dark skin with embedded polymer tubes filled with human blood to mimic subcutaneous veins. Appropriate image processing techniques were also used to enhance the detection and depth resolved differentiation of the vein phantoms. Results show that a linear regression model can represent the relation between the grey level in subcutaneous vein images and the depth of vessels down to 3 mm or deeper (n = 15, R2 = 0.88, P < 0.001). The effect of laser power on the system performance is also discussed. Analysis of the collected images demonstrates the feasibility of 830 nm laser imaging for differentiating vein depths under dark skin surface. The proposed method would enhance the localization of invisible subcutaneous veins. This, in turn, would further improve the success rate of related medical procedures such as blood sampling, drawing, in the dark skin population.

A Sensitive Fibre Optic Probe for Autofluorescence Spectroscopy of Oral Tongue Cancer: Monte Carlo Simulation Study.

The objective of this paper is to determine the best optical probe configuration that would help to detect neoplastic lesions in oral tongue epithelial tissue. Three geometrical configurations are investigated. The first one is a single-fibre probe with different fibre diameters. The second one is a multitilted fibre probe that employs different tilting angles for emission and collection fibres. While the third one is a multidiameter probe that employs different fibre diameters and distances between the emission and the collection fibres. All probes were evaluated for their depth-limited sensitivity in the epithelium layer of the tongue. Probes that showed efficient sensitivities were then compared for their fluorescence intensities acquired from both tissue types. The sensitivity for the first two types of probes was found to be roughly comparable. However, the differentiation capability of the multitilted fibre probe between dysplastic and healthy tissue was found to be noticeably larger by 30% of that of the single-fibre probe. The third type showed more sensitivity to fluorescence emerging from deeper layers. Finally, the proposed configuration is presented and proved to achieve higher sensitivity for both superficial and deep layers.

Optimized Cylindrical Diffuser Powers for Interstitial PDT Breast Cancer Treatment Planning: A Simulation Study.

PURPOSE: It is well known that interstitial photodynamic therapy (iPDT) of large tumors requires effective planning to ensure efficient delivery of therapeutic dose to the target tumors. This should be achieved in parallel with minimal damage to the nearby intact tissues. To that end, clinical iPDT can be attained using cylindrical diffusing optical fibers (CDFs) as light sources. In this work, we optimize output CDF powers in order to deliver a prescribed light dose to a spherical volume such as a tumor node. METHODS: Four CDFs are placed vertically inside the tumor node. The fluence rate is calculated using the diffusion equation. Therapeutic target dose is (20-50) J·cm-2. The optical properties (µ a = 0.085 cm-1, µ s' = 16 cm-1) of a breast tumor and the treatment time of 150 sec are used to calculate the fluence rate. RESULTS: For four CDFs, the therapeutic target dose (20-50) J·cm-2 is delivered to more than 90%. This is the ratio of the total points that receive the target dose in proportion to the total points in the volume of the node of 3 cm in diameter, whereas, in larger nodes, the ratio is decreased to approximately 67%. Five CDFs are required to improve this ratio by more than 10%. CONCLUSION: Optimizing delivered powers enables the distribution of the therapeutic dose uniformly in the medium. In addition, this simulation study represents an essential part of a development dosimetry system for measuring and controlling the optical dose in the breast tumors.

Development of Temperature Distribution and Light Propagation Model in Biological Tissue Irradiated by 980 nm Laser Diode and Using COMSOL Simulation.

Introduction: The purpose of this project is to develop a mathematical model to investigate light distribution and study effective parameters such as laser power and irradiated time to get the optimal laser dosage to control hyperthermia. This study is expected to have a positive impact and a better simulation on laser treatment planning of biological tissues. Moreover, it may enable us to replace animal tests with the results of a COMSOL predictive model. Methods: We used in this work COMSOL5 model to simulate the light diffusion and bio-heat equation of the mouse tissue when irradiated by 980 nm laser diode and the effect of different parameters (laser power, and irradiated time) on the surrounding tissue of the tumor treatment in order to prevent damage from excess heat Results: The model was applied to study light propagation and several parameters (laser power, irradiated time) and their impact on light-heat distribution within the tumor in the mouse back tissue The best result is at laser power 0.5 W and time irradiation 0.5 seconds in order to get the maximum temperature hyperthermia at 52°C. Conclusion: The goal of this study is to simulate a mouse model to control excess heating of tissue and reduce the number of animals in experimental research to get the best laser parameters that was safe for use in living animals and in human subjects.

Algorithm for Analyzing Thermal Images of Laser Irradiated Human Skin.

Introduction: Tracking temporal changes of temperature during laser skin treatment plays an important role in improving the process of laser skin treatment itself. There are a number of methods to analyze temperature's temporal dependency during laser skin treatment; some of those methods depend on imaging the skin with thermal cameras. However, the use of thermal cameras exhibits specific problems, including the ability to track laser-skin interaction spot. This paper is dedicated to solve that problem using digital image processing program coded with Matlab. Methods: The measurements were taken for 15 native Syrian subjects of different sex, age and skin tones, the treated ailment was port wine stain. The clinical work (laser exposure) was performed in Damascus University, hospital of dermatology. The treatment was observed by thermal camera and analyzed using the proposed Matlab coded tracking system. Results: For all the subjects, the treatment laser spot was tracked and the curves of skin temperature change with time where calculated by the use of the proposed algorithm, then the active time was calculated for each subject. The algorithm proved practical and robust. Conclusion: The proposed algorithm proved to be efficient and can be used to support future researchers with capability to measure the temperature with high frame rate.