Ultrahigh sensitive optical microangiography for in vivo imaging of microcirculations within human skin tissue beds

Opt Express. 2010 Apr 12;18(8):8220-8. doi: 10.1364/OE.18.008220.

Abstract

In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time that the detailed cutaneous blood flow at capillary level within dermis of human skin can be imaged by optical micro-angiography (OMAG) technique. A novel scanning protocol, i.e. fast B scan mode is used to achieve the capillary flow imaging. We employ a 1310nm system to scan the skin tissue at an imaging rate of 300 frames per second, which requires only ~5 sec to complete one 3D imaging of capillary blood flow within skin. The technique is sensitive enough to image the very slow blood flows at ~4 microm/sec. The promising results show a great potential of OMAG's role in the diagnosis, treatment and management of human skin diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Angiography / methods*
  • Diagnostic Imaging / methods*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Microcirculation / physiology*
  • Optical Phenomena*
  • Phantoms, Imaging
  • Skin / anatomy & histology
  • Skin / blood supply*