Using sandpaper for noninvasive transepidermal optical skin clearing agent delivery.

We present a gentle mechanical method for the noninvasive transepidermal delivery of topically applied optical skin clearing agents. Optical skin clearing reduces light scattering in highly turbid skin with the aid of hyperosmotic chemicals such as glycerol, polyethylene glycol, and solutions of dextrose. Transepidermal delivery of such agents is believed to be most patient compliant and most likely to be used in a clinical environment. Optical skin clearing has the potential to expand the current limited use of laser light in medicine for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Light scattering limits the penetration depth of collimated light into skin. In order to increase the diffusion of topically applied optical skin clearing agents into skin, we present a gentle mechanical delivery method involving glycerol and dextrose as optical skin clearing agents and fine 220-grit sandpaper to rub the clearing agent into the tissue. Gentle rubbing causes abrasion of the superficial skin layer including the stratum corneum, which otherwise prevents these optical skin clearing agents from freely diffusing into skin. Results indicate very fast optical skin clearing rates. In vivo hamster skin turned transparent within 2 min. The 1e light penetration depth increased by 36+/-3.75% for dextrose and 43+/-8.24% for glycerol. Optical skin clearing was reversed using phosphate buffered saline solution. Skin viability was observed 70 h post-treatment and showed scabbing and erythema on a few percent of the total optically cleared skin surface.

Enhancement of transepidermal skin clearing agent delivery using a 980 nm diode laser.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patient compliant optical skin clearing requires non-invasive topical delivery of clearing agents such as glycerol. This requires reducing the skin barrier function by disrupting stratum corneum integrity, which was achieved using a 980 nm diode laser with artificial absorption substrates on the skin surface. Reduction of light scattering has the potential to improve many current and novel diagnostic and therapeutic applications of lasers in medicine. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vivo hamster and rat skin was used to test optical skin clearing. Absorption substrates were applied to the skin after shaving. These included black ink, dark children's rub-on tattoo, and carbon paper. 980 nm cw laser light was used to ablate these substrates and to heat the skin surface to enhance the diffusion of topically applied glycerol for optical skin clearing. Increased light penetration was determined from amplitude optical coherence tomography data. RESULTS: Results indicate an improvement of the ability to measure an OCT signal at a wavelength of 1,290 nm up to 42% deeper into in vivo rodent skin using a 980 nm laser with a fluence of less than 0.96 J/mm(2) to alter the stratum corneum. CONCLUSIONS: The use of an inexpensive diode laser can significantly enhance the delivery of topically applied glycerol for optical skin clearing. The laser use involves application of an absorption substrate onto the skin surface. Using carbon paper left no unwanted residue behind and is considered optimal for this purpose.