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Ding X, Hernandez-Serrano AI, Young JJ, Pickwell-MacPherson E. Variation of skin hydration profile with biophysical factors and lifestyle revealed by in vivo terahertz sensing. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2024; 15:5180-5198. [PMID: 39296403 PMCID: PMC11407259 DOI: 10.1364/boe.527731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/21/2024]
Abstract
The skin, being the body's largest organ, plays a pivotal role in protecting the body against dangerous external factors. The maintenance of adequate hydration levels is essential for the skin to fulfill this protective function. However, skin hydration depends upon different biophysical factors and lifestyles, such as ethnicity, sex, age, water consumption, and many more. Consequently, methods to assess skin hydration in a precise and non-invasive manner are in high demand. In this paper, using a portable and handheld terahertz (THz) probe, we systematically examine the correlation between diverse biophysical factors and skin hydration profile in a population exceeding 300 participants. Through comparative analysis of THz light reflected from the skin against a dielectric model, we successfully extracted the thickness and hydration percentage of the outermost layer of the epidermis, the stratum corneum (SC). Our findings indicate that SC hydration and thickness are associated with variables such as daily water consumption, age, drinking coffee, and exercise. Additionally, our measurements reveal distinctions in the skin's hydration properties concerning susceptibility to UV-induced effects by bringing in the Fitzpatrick skin types. This THz-based technique holds the potential for facile integration into clinical settings for the evaluation and diagnosis of various skin-related conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefei Ding
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - A I Hernandez-Serrano
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Jacob J Young
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Emma Pickwell-MacPherson
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
- Institute of Applied and Translational Technologies in Surgery, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, UK
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2
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Xu K, Arbab MH. Terahertz polarimetric imaging of biological tissue: Monte Carlo modeling of signal contrast mechanisms due to Mie scattering. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2024; 15:2328-2342. [PMID: 38633080 PMCID: PMC11019684 DOI: 10.1364/boe.515623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Many promising biomedical applications have been proposed for terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and diagnostic imaging techniques. Polarimetric imaging systems are generally useful for enhancing imaging contrasts, yet the interplay between THz polarization changes and the random discrete structures in biological samples is not well understood. In this work, we performed Monte Carlo simulations of the propagation of polarized THz waves in skin and adipose tissues based on the Mie scattering from intrinsic structures, such as hair follicles or sweat glands. We show that the polarimetric contrasts are distinctly affected by concentration, size and dielectric properties of the scatterers, as well as the frequency and polarization of the incident THz waves. We describe the experimental requirements for observing and extracting these polarimetric signals due to the low energy and small angular spread of the back-scattered THz radiation. We analyzed the spatially integrated Mueller matrices of samples in the normal-incidence back-scattering geometry. We show that the frequency-dependent degree of polarization (DOP) can be used to infer the concentrations and dielectric contents of the scattering structures. Our modeling approach can be used to inform the design of the imaging modalities and the interpretation of the spectroscopic data in future terahertz biomedical imaging applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuangyi Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - M. Hassan Arbab
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
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3
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Qi X, Bertling K, Torniainen J, Kong F, Gillespie T, Primiero C, Stark MS, Dean P, Indjin D, Li LH, Linfield EH, Davies AG, Brünig M, Mills T, Rosendahl C, Soyer HP, Rakić AD. Terahertz in vivo imaging of human skin: Toward detection of abnormal skin pathologies. APL Bioeng 2024; 8:016117. [PMID: 38476403 PMCID: PMC10932572 DOI: 10.1063/5.0190573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Terahertz (THz) imaging has long held promise for skin cancer detection but has been hampered by the lack of practical technological implementation. In this article, we introduce a technique for discriminating several skin pathologies using a coherent THz confocal system based on a THz quantum cascade laser. High resolution in vivo THz images (with diffraction limited to the order of 100 μm) of several different lesion types were acquired and compared against one another using the amplitude and phase values. Our system successfully separated pathologies using a combination of phase and amplitude information and their respective surface textures. The large scan field (50 × 40 mm) of the system allows macroscopic visualization of several skin lesions in a single frame. Utilizing THz imaging for dermatological assessment of skin lesions offers substantial additional diagnostic value for clinicians. THz images contain information complementary to the information contained in the conventional digital images.
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Affiliation(s)
- X. Qi
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
| | - K. Bertling
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
| | - J. Torniainen
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
| | - F. Kong
- Dermatology Research Centre, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba QLD 4102, Australia
| | - T. Gillespie
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
| | - C. Primiero
- Dermatology Research Centre, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba QLD 4102, Australia
| | - M. S. Stark
- Dermatology Research Centre, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba QLD 4102, Australia
| | - P. Dean
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - D. Indjin
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - L. H. Li
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - E. H. Linfield
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - A. G. Davies
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - M. Brünig
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
| | - T. Mills
- OscillaDx Pty Ltd, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - C. Rosendahl
- General Practice Clinical Unit, Faculty of Medicinee, The University of Queensland, Herston QLD 4029, Australia
| | - H. P. Soyer
- Dermatology Research Centre, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba QLD 4102, Australia
| | - A. D. Rakić
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
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4
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Xu K, Arbab MH. Terahertz polarimetric imaging of biological tissues: Monte Carlo modeling of signal contrast mechanisms due to Mie scattering. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3745690. [PMID: 38168438 PMCID: PMC10760297 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3745690/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Many promising biomedical applications have been proposed for terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and diagnostic imaging techniques. Polarimetric imaging systems are generally useful for enhancing imaging contrasts, yet the interplay between THz polarization changes and the random discrete structures in biological samples are not well understood. In this work, we performed Monte Carlo simulations of the propagation of polarized THz waves in skin and adipose tissues based on the Mie scattering from intrinsic structures, such as hair follicles or sweat glands. We show that the polarimetric contrasts are distinctly affected by concentration, size and dielectric properties of the scatterers, as well as the frequency and polarization of the incident THz waves. We describe the experimental requirements for observing and extracting these polarimetric signals due to the low energy and small angular spread of the back-scattered THz radiation. We analyzed the spatially integrated Mueller matrices of samples in the normal-incidence back-scattering geometry. We show that the frequency-dependent degree of polarization (DOP) can be used to infer the concentrations and dielectric contents of the scattering structures. Our modeling approach can be used to inform the design of the imaging modalities and the interpretation of the spectroscopic data in future terahertz biomedical imaging applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuangyi Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - M. Hassan Arbab
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
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5
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Chernomyrdin NV, Il'enkova DR, Zhelnov VA, Alekseeva AI, Gavdush AA, Musina GR, Nikitin PV, Kucheryavenko AS, Dolganova IN, Spektor IE, Tuchin VV, Zaytsev KI. Quantitative polarization-sensitive super-resolution solid immersion microscopy reveals biological tissues' birefringence in the terahertz range. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16596. [PMID: 37789192 PMCID: PMC10547778 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43857-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Terahertz (THz) technology offers a variety of applications in label-free medical diagnosis and therapy, majority of which rely on the effective medium theory that assumes biological tissues to be optically isotropic and homogeneous at the scale posed by the THz wavelengths. Meanwhile, most recent research discovered mesoscale ([Formula: see text]) heterogeneities of tissues; [Formula: see text] is a wavelength. This posed a problem of studying the related scattering and polarization effects of THz-wave-tissue interactions, while there is still a lack of appropriate tools and instruments for such studies. To address this challenge, in this paper, quantitative polarization-sensitive reflection-mode THz solid immersion (SI) microscope is developed, that comprises a silicon hemisphere-based SI lens, metal-wire-grid polarizer and analyzer, a continuous-wave 0.6 THz ([Formula: see text] µm) backward-wave oscillator (BWO), and a Golay detector. It makes possible the study of local polarization-dependent THz response of mesoscale tissue elements with the resolution as high as [Formula: see text]. It is applied to retrieve the refractive index distributions over the freshly-excised rat brain for the two orthogonal linear polarizations of the THz beam, aimed at uncovering the THz birefringence (structural optical anisotropy) of tissues. The most pronounced birefringence is observed for the Corpus callosum, formed by well-oriented and densely-packed axons bridging the cerebral hemispheres. The observed results are verified by the THz pulsed spectroscopy of the porcine brain, which confirms higher refractive index of the Corpus callosum when the THz beam is polarized along axons. Our findings highlight a potential of the quantitative polarization THz microscopy in biophotonics and medical imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- N V Chernomyrdin
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 119991.
| | - D R Il'enkova
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 119991
| | - V A Zhelnov
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 119991
| | - A I Alekseeva
- Research Institute of Human Morphology, Moscow, Russia, 117418
| | - A A Gavdush
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 119991
| | - G R Musina
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - P V Nikitin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - A S Kucheryavenko
- Institute of Solid State Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Russia
| | - I N Dolganova
- Institute of Solid State Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Russia
| | - I E Spektor
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 119991
| | - V V Tuchin
- Institute of Physics and Science Medical Center, Saratov State University, Saratov, Russia, 410012
- Laboratory of Laser Molecular Imaging and Machine Learning, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia, 634050
| | - K I Zaytsev
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 119991.
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6
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Helminiak J, Alfaro-Gomez M, Hernandez-Cardoso GG, Koch M, Castro-Camus E. Temperature dependence of the dielectric function of dehydrated biological samples in the THz band. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 14:1472-1479. [PMID: 37078026 PMCID: PMC10110306 DOI: 10.1364/boe.478787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Terahertz technology has demonstrated enormous potential for the analysis of biological systems and the diagnosis of some medical conditions, given its high sensitivity to detect water content. In previously published papers, effective medium theories are used to extract the water content from the terahertz measurements. When the dielectric functions of water and dehydrated bio-material are well known, the volumetric fraction of water can be left as the only free parameter in those effective medium theory models. While water complex permittivity is very well known, the dielectric functions of dehydrated tissues are normally measured for each individual application. In previous studies, it has been traditionally assumed that, unlike water, the dielectric function of the dehydrated tissues is temperature independent, measuring it only at room temperature. Yet, this is an aspect that has not been discussed and that is relevant in order to get THz technology closer to clinical and in-the-field applications. In this work, we present the characterization of the complex permittivity of dehydrated tissues; each studied at temperatures ranging from 20°C to 36.5°C. We studied samples of different organism classifications to have a wider confirmation of the results. We find that, in each case, the dielectric function changes of dehydrated tissues caused by temperature are smaller than for water across the same temperature interval. Yet, the changes in the dielectric function of the dehydrated tissue are not negligible and should, in many cases, be taken into account for the processing of terahertz signals that interact with biological tissues. While this study gives a first introduction into the probable relevancy of temperature-dependent optical behavior of biological samples, this work only focuses on the experimental proof for this relationship and will, therefore, not give a deeper analysis of how the underlying models have to be modified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Helminiak
- Department of Physics and Material Sciences Center, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Renthof 5, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Mariana Alfaro-Gomez
- Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes, Av. Universidad 940, Cd. Universitaria, 20100, Aguascalientes, Mexico
| | - Goretti G. Hernandez-Cardoso
- Department of Physics and Material Sciences Center, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Renthof 5, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Martin Koch
- Department of Physics and Material Sciences Center, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Renthof 5, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Enrique Castro-Camus
- Department of Physics and Material Sciences Center, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Renthof 5, 35032 Marburg, Germany
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7
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De Decker I, Hoeksema H, Vanlerberghe E, Beeckman A, Verbelen J, De Coninck P, Speeckaert MM, Blondeel P, Monstrey S, Claes KEY. Occlusion and hydration of scars: moisturizers versus silicone gels. Burns 2023; 49:365-379. [PMID: 35550830 DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2022.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mainstay of non-invasive scar management, consists of pressure therapy with customized pressure garments often combined with inlays, hydration by means of silicones and/or moisturizers as well as UV protection. It is generally accepted that scar dehydration resulting from impaired barrier function of the stratum corneum and expressed by raised trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) values, can lead to increased fibroblast activity and thereby hypertrophic scar formation. However, we have reached no consensus on exactly what optimal scar hydration is nor on barrier function repair: by means of silicone sheets, liquid silicone gels or moisturizers. Occlusive silicone sheets almost completely prevent TEWL and have been shown to be effective. Nevertheless, many important disadvantages due to excessive occlusion such as difficulties in applying the sheets exceeding 10-12 h, pruritus, irritation, and maceration of the skin are limiting factors for its use. To avoid these complications and to facilitate the application, liquid silicone gels were developed. Despite a reduced occlusion, various studies have shown that the effects are comparable to these of the silicone sheets. However, major limiting factors for general use are the long drying time, the shiny aspect after application, and the high cost especially when used for larger scars. Based on excellent clinical results after using three specific moisturizers for scar treatment in our patients, we wanted to investigate whether these moisturizers induce comparable occlusion and hydration compared to both each other and the widely recognized liquid silicone gels. We wanted to provide a more scientific basis for the kind of moisturizers that can be used as a full-fledged and cost-effective alternative to silicone gel. METHODS A total of 36 healthy volunteers participated in this study. Increased TEWL was created by inducing superficial abrasions by rigorous (20x) skin stripping with Corneofix® adhesive tape in squares of 4 cm². Three moisturizers and a fluid silicone gel were tested: DermaCress, Alhydran, Lipikar and BAP Scar Care silicone gel respectively. TEWL reducing capacities and both absolute (AAH) and cumulative (CAAH) absolute added hydration were assessed using a Tewameter® TM300 and a Corneometer® CM825 at different time points for up to 4 h after application. RESULTS We found an immediate TEWL increase in all the zones that underwent superficial abrasions by stripping. Controls remained stable over time, relative to the ambient condition. The mean percentage reduction (MPR) in TEWL kept increasing over time with Alhydran and DermaCress, reaching a maximum effect 4 h after application. Silicone gel reached maximal MPR almost immediately after application and only declined thereafter. The silicone gel never reached the minimal MPR of Alhydran or DermaCress. Hydration capacity assessed through CAAH as measured by the Corneometer was significantly less with silicone gel compared to the moisturizers. Compared to silicone gel Lipikar provided similar occlusion and the improvement in hydration was highly significant 4 h after application. CONCLUSION Based on the results of both our previous research and this study it is clearly demonstrated that the occlusive and hydrative effect of fluid silicone gel is inferior to the moisturizers used in our center. Lipikar hydrates well but is less suitable for scar treatment due to the lack of occlusion. A well-balanced occlusion and hydration, in this study only provided by Alhydran and DermaCress, suggests that moisturizers can be used as a scar hydration therapy that replaces silicone products, is more cost-effective and has a more patient-friendly application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignace De Decker
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Henk Hoeksema
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Plastic Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Els Vanlerberghe
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Anse Beeckman
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jozef Verbelen
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Petra De Coninck
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marijn M Speeckaert
- Department of Nephrology, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Phillip Blondeel
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Plastic Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stan Monstrey
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Plastic Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karel E Y Claes
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Plastic Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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8
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Khani ME, Harris ZB, Osman OB, Singer AJ, Hassan Arbab M. Triage of in vivo burn injuries and prediction of wound healing outcome using neural networks and modeling of the terahertz permittivity based on the double Debye dielectric parameters. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 14:918-931. [PMID: 36874480 PMCID: PMC9979665 DOI: 10.1364/boe.479567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The initial assessment of the depth of a burn injury during triage forms the basis for determination of the course of the clinical treatment plan. However, severe skin burns are highly dynamic and hard to predict. This results in a low accuracy rate of about 60 - 75% in the diagnosis of partial-thickness burns in the acute post-burn period. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) has demonstrated a significant potential for non-invasive and timely estimation of the burn severity. Here, we describe a methodology for the measurement and numerical modeling of the dielectric permittivity of the in vivo porcine skin burns. We use the double Debye dielectric relaxation theory to model the permittivity of the burned tissue. We further investigate the origins of dielectric contrast between the burns of various severity, as determined histologically based on the percentage of the burned dermis, using the empirical Debye parameters. We demonstrate that the five parameters of the double Debye model can form an artificial neural network classification algorithm capable of automatic diagnosis of the severity of the burn injuries, and predicting its ultimate wound healing outcome by forecasting its re-epithelialization status in 28 days. Our results demonstrate that the Debye dielectric parameters provide a physics-based approach for the extraction of the biomedical diagnostic markers from the broadband THz pulses. This method can significantly boost dimensionality reduction of THz training data in artificial intelligence models and streamline machine learning algorithms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud E. Khani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Zachery B. Harris
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Omar B. Osman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Adam J. Singer
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - M. Hassan Arbab
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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9
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Khani ME, Osman OB, Harris ZB, Chen A, Zhou JW, Singer AJ, Arbab MH. Accurate and early prediction of the wound healing outcome of burn injuries using the wavelet Shannon entropy of terahertz time-domain waveforms. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2022; 27:JBO-220119GR. [PMID: 36348509 PMCID: PMC9641274 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.27.11.116001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Significance Severe burn injuries cause significant hypermetabolic alterations that are highly dynamic, hard to predict, and require acute and critical care. The clinical assessments of the severity of burn injuries are highly subjective and have consistently been reported to be inaccurate. Therefore, the utilization of other imaging modalities is crucial to reaching an objective and accurate burn assessment modality. Aim We describe a non-invasive technique using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and the wavelet packet Shannon entropy to automatically estimate the burn depth and predict the wound healing outcome of thermal burn injuries. Approach We created 40 burn injuries of different severity grades in two porcine models using scald and contact methods of infliction. We used our THz portable handheld spectral reflection (PHASR) scanner to obtain the in vivo THz-TDS images. We used the energy to Shannon entropy ratio of the wavelet packet coefficients of the THz-TDS waveforms on day 0 to create supervised support vector machine (SVM) classification models. Histological assessments of the burn biopsies serve as the ground truth. Results We achieved an accuracy rate of 94.7% in predicting the wound healing outcome, as determined by histological measurement of the re-epithelialization rate on day 28 post-burn induction, using the THz-TDS measurements obtained on day 0. Furthermore, we report the accuracy rates of 89%, 87.1%, and 87.6% in automatic diagnosis of the superficial partial-thickness, deep partial-thickness, and full-thickness burns, respectively, using a multiclass SVM model. Conclusions The THz PHASR scanner promises a robust, high-speed, and accurate diagnostic modality to improve the clinical triage of burns and their management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud E. Khani
- Stony Brook University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook, New York, United States
| | - Omar B. Osman
- Stony Brook University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook, New York, United States
| | - Zachery B. Harris
- Stony Brook University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook, New York, United States
| | - Andrew Chen
- Stony Brook University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook, New York, United States
| | - Juin W. Zhou
- Stony Brook University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook, New York, United States
| | - Adam J. Singer
- Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Department of Emergency Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, United States
| | - Mohammad Hassan Arbab
- Stony Brook University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook, New York, United States
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10
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De Decker I, Hoeksema H, Verbelen J, Vanlerberghe E, De Coninck P, Speeckaert MM, Blondeel P, Monstrey S, Claes KEY. The use of fluid silicone gels in the prevention and treatment of hypertrophic scars: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Burns 2022; 48:491-509. [PMID: 35367089 DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Silicone products, either as a sheet or in fluid form, are universally considered as the first line therapy in the prevention and treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids. However, the study results have been questioned by different authors and there has never been a large systematic synopsis published on the efficacy of fluid silicone gels. This systematic review aims to elucidate the available evidence of the results obtained by fluid silicone gels and present a complete and comprehensive overview of the available literature as well as a meta-analysis of the pooled data. METHODS A systematic search for articles concerning the use of silicone gel in the treatment and prevention of scars was performed on 3 different databases (Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane library) according to the PRISMA statement. Only RCT's were included. Qualitative assessment was done by 2 separate reviewers using the Cochrane risk of bias (RoB 2) assessment tool. Revman 5.4.1 software was used for meta-analysis. RESULTS The search yielded 507 articles. Two articles were identified through other sources. After deduplication and removal of ineligible records, 340 records were screened on title and abstract. Full text screening was done for 23 articles and ultimately 18 articles were included. A meta-analysis comparing fluid silicone gel to no treatment or placebo gels was conducted. CONCLUSION Studies on the effects of liquid silicone gels on hypertrophic scars are numerous and this systematic review shows that the use of liquid silicone gels is associated with both a prophylactic and a curative effect on scars. However, a considerable amount of the available 'high evidence' trials are at a high risk for bias and it is uncertain whether or not the effects of silicone gels are comparable to silicone sheets and if the additional components present in many silicone gels are partially responsible for their scar improving capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignace De Decker
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Henk Hoeksema
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Plastic Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jozef Verbelen
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Els Vanlerberghe
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Petra De Coninck
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marijn M Speeckaert
- Department of Nephrology, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Phillip Blondeel
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Plastic Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stan Monstrey
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Plastic Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karel E Y Claes
- Burn Center, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Plastic Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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11
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Monitoring the Effect of Transdermal Drug Delivery Patches on the Skin Using Terahertz Sensing. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13122052. [PMID: 34959334 PMCID: PMC8706937 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13122052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Water content of the skin is an important parameter for controlling the penetration rate of chemicals through the skin barrier; therefore, for transdermal patches designed for drug delivery to be successful, the effects of the patches on the water content of the skin must be understood. Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is a technique which is being increasingly investigated for biomedical applications due to its high sensitivity to water content and non-ionizing nature. In this study, we used THz measurements of the skin (in vivo) to observe the effect of partially and fully occlusive skin patches on the THz response of the skin after the patches had been applied for 24 h. We were able to observe an increase in the water content of the skin following the application of the patches and to identify that the skin remained hyper-hydrated for four hours after the removal of the fully occlusive patches. Herein, we show that THz spectroscopy has potential for increasing the understanding of how transdermal patches affect the skin, how long the skin takes to recover following patch removal, and what implications these factors might have for how transdermal drug patches are designed and used.
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12
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Choi DH, Shin JH, Lee IM, Park KH. Investigations on Practical Issues in Solid Immersion Lens Based Sub-Wavelength Terahertz Imaging Technique: System Stability Verification and Interference Pattern Removal. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 21:6990. [PMID: 34770295 PMCID: PMC8588359 DOI: 10.3390/s21216990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Terahertz (THz) imaging techniques are attractive for a wide range of applications, such as non-destructive testing, biological sensing, and security imaging. We investigate practical issues in THz imaging systems based on a solid immersion lens (SIL). The system stability in terms of longitudinal misalignment of the SIL is experimentally verified by showing that the diffraction-limited sub-wavelength beam size (0.7 λ) is maintained as long as the SIL is axially located within the depth-of-focus (~13 λ) of the objective lens. The origin of the fringe patterns, which are undesirable but inevitable in THz imaging systems that use continuous waves, is analytically studied, and a method for minimizing the interference patterns is proposed. By combining two THz images obtained at different axial positions of the object and separated by λ/4, the interference patterns are significantly reduced, and the information hidden under the interference patterns is unveiled. The broad applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated by imaging objects with different surface profiles. Our work proves that the resolution of conventional THz imaging systems can easily be enhanced by simply inserting a SIL in front of the object with high tolerance in the longitudinal misalignment and provides a method enabling THz imaging for objects with different surface profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Hye Choi
- Terahertz Research Section, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon 34129, Korea; (J.-H.S.); (I.-M.L.); (K.H.P.)
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13
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Tanga AA, Giliberti V, Vitucci F, Vitulano D, Bruni V, Rossetti A, Messina GC, Daniele M, Ruocco G, Ortolani M. Terahertz scattering microscopy for dermatology diagnostics. JPHYS PHOTONICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1088/2515-7647/abfecb] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
We explore the possibility of detecting anomalous structures buried under the skin surface by studying the deviations from the ideal Airy pattern of the point-spread function (PSF) of a terahertz microscope that includes the skin as one of the reflecting surfaces of the optical system. Using a custom terahertz microscope with a monochromatic point source emitting at 0.611 THz, we record the PSF images with a microbolometer camera. Skin simulants based on collagen gel, with and without artificial buried structures, have been analyzed. The geometrical features characterizing the PSF deformations have been extracted automatically from the PSF images. A machine learning algorithm applied to these geometrical features produces a reliable classification of targets with or without buried structures with error below 5%. It can even classify targets with anisotropic buried structures according to their different orientation.
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14
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THz Sensing of Human Skin: A Review of Skin Modeling Approaches. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21113624. [PMID: 34070962 PMCID: PMC8197005 DOI: 10.3390/s21113624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The non-ionizing and non-invasive nature of THz radiation, combined with its high sensitivity to water, has made THz imaging and spectroscopy highly attractive for in vivo biomedical applications for many years. Among them, the skin is primarily investigated due to the short penetration depth of THz waves caused by the high attenuation by water in biological samples. However, a complete model of skin describing the THz-skin interaction is still needed. This is also fundamental to reveal the optical properties of the skin from the measured THz spectrum. It is crucial that the correct model is used, not just to ensure compatibility between different works, but more importantly to ensure the reliability of the data and conclusions. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the models applied to skin used in the THz regime, and we compare their adaptability, accuracy, and limitations. We show that most of the models attempt to extract the hydration profile inside the skin while there is also the anisotropic model that displays skin structural changes in the stratum corneum.
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15
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Nikitkina AI, Bikmulina PY, Gafarova ER, Kosheleva NV, Efremov YM, Bezrukov EA, Butnaru DV, Dolganova IN, Chernomyrdin NV, Cherkasova OP, Gavdush AA, Timashev PS. Terahertz radiation and the skin: a review. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2021; 26:JBO-200356VSSR. [PMID: 33583155 PMCID: PMC7881098 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.26.4.043005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Terahertz (THz) radiation has demonstrated a great potential in biomedical applications over the past three decades, mainly due to its non-invasive and label-free nature. Among all biological specimens, skin tissue is an optimal sample for the application of THz-based methods because it allows for overcoming some intrinsic limitations of the technique, such as a small penetration depth (0.1 to 0.3 mm for the skin, on average). AIM We summarize the modern research results achieved when THz technology was applied to the skin, considering applications in both imaging/detection and treatment/modulation of the skin constituents. APPROACH We perform a review of literature and analyze the recent research achievements in THz applications for skin diagnosis and investigation. RESULTS The reviewed results demonstrate the possibilities of THz spectroscopy and imaging, both pulsed and continuous, for diagnosis of skin melanoma and non-melanoma cancer, dysplasia, scars, and diabetic condition, mainly based on the analysis of THz optical properties. The possibility of modulating cell activity and treatment of various diseases by THz-wave exposure is shown as well. CONCLUSIONS The rapid development of THz technologies and the obtained research results for skin tissue highlight the potential of THz waves as a research and therapeutic instrument. The perspectives on the use of THz radiation are related to both non-invasive diagnostics and stimulation and control of different processes in a living skin tissue for regeneration and cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Polina Y. Bikmulina
- Sechenov University, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Moscow, Russia
- World-Class Research Center “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare,” Moscow, Russia
| | - Elvira R. Gafarova
- Sechenov University, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Moscow, Russia
- World-Class Research Center “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare,” Moscow, Russia
| | - Nastasia V. Kosheleva
- Sechenov University, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Moscow, Russia
- World-Class Research Center “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare,” Moscow, Russia
- Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology,” Moscow, Russia
| | - Yuri M. Efremov
- Sechenov University, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Moscow, Russia
- World-Class Research Center “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare,” Moscow, Russia
| | - Evgeny A. Bezrukov
- Sechenov University, Institute for Urology and Reproductive Health, Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis V. Butnaru
- Sechenov University, Institute for Urology and Reproductive Health, Moscow, Russia
| | - Irina N. Dolganova
- Sechenov University, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Moscow, Russia
- Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chernogolovka, Russia
- Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikita V. Chernomyrdin
- Sechenov University, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Moscow, Russia
- Russian Academy of Sciences, Prokhorov General Physics Institute, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga P. Cherkasova
- Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Laser Physics of the Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Novosibirsk State Technical University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Arsenii A. Gavdush
- Russian Academy of Sciences, Prokhorov General Physics Institute, Moscow, Russia
| | - Peter S. Timashev
- Sechenov University, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Moscow, Russia
- World-Class Research Center “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare,” Moscow, Russia
- N. N. Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics, Department of Polymers and Composites, Moscow, Russia
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Chemistry Department, Moscow, Russia
- Address all correspondence to Peter S. Timashev,
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16
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Zotov AK, Gavdush AA, Katyba GM, Safonova LP, Chernomyrdin NV, Dolganova IN. In situ terahertz monitoring of an ice ball formation during tissue cryosurgery: a feasibility test. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2021; 26:JBO-200372SSR. [PMID: 33506657 PMCID: PMC7839928 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.26.4.043003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Uncontrolled cryoablation of tissues is a strong reason limiting the wide application of cryosurgery and cryotherapy due to the certain risks of unpredicted damaging of healthy tissues. The existing guiding techniques are unable to be applied in situ or provide insufficient spatial resolution. Terahertz (THz) pulsed spectroscopy (TPS) based on sensitivity of THz time-domain signal to changes of tissue properties caused by freezing could form the basis of an instrument for observation of the ice ball formation. AIM The ability of TPS for in situ monitoring of tissue freezing depth is studied experimentally. APPROACH A THz pulsed spectrometer operated in reflection mode and equipped with a cooled sample holder and ex vivo samples of bovine visceral adipose tissue is applied. Signal spectrograms are used to analyze the changes of THz time-domain signals caused by the interface between frozen and unfrozen tissue parts. RESULTS Experimental observation of TPS signals reflected from freezing tissue demonstrates the feasibility of TPS to detect ice ball formation up to 657-μm depth. CONCLUSIONS TPS could become the promising instrument for in situ control of cryoablation, enabling observation of the freezing front propagation, which could find applications in various fields of oncology, regenerative medicine, and THz biophotonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arsen K. Zotov
- Institute of Solid State Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Russia
| | - Arsenii A. Gavdush
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Gleb M. Katyba
- Institute of Solid State Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Russia
- Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Nikita V. Chernomyrdin
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Russia
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Moscow, Russia
| | - Irina N. Dolganova
- Institute of Solid State Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Russia
- Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Russia
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Moscow, Russia
- Address all correpsondence to Irina N. Dolganova,
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17
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Musina GR, Dolganova IN, Chernomyrdin NV, Gavdush AA, Ulitko VE, Cherkasova OP, Tuchina DK, Nikitin PV, Alekseeva AI, Bal NV, Komandin GA, Kurlov VN, Tuchin VV, Zaytsev KI. Optimal hyperosmotic agents for tissue immersion optical clearing in terahertz biophotonics. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2020; 13:e202000297. [PMID: 32881362 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202000297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
In this work, a thorough analysis of hyperosmotic agents for the immersion optical clearing (IOC) in terahertz (THz) range was performed. It was aimed at the selection of agents for the efficient enhancement of penetration depth of THz waves into biological tissues. Pulsed spectroscopy in the frequency range of 0.1 to 2.5 THz was applied for investigation of the optical properties of common IOC agents. Using the collimated transmission spectroscopy in visible range, binary diffusion coefficients of tissue water and agent in ex vivo rat brain tissue were measured. IOC agents were objectively compared using two-dimensional nomogram, accounting for their THz-wave absorption coefficients and binary diffusion coefficients. The results of this study demonstrate an interplay between the penetration depth enhancement and the diffusion rate and allow for pointing out glycerol as an optimal agent among the considered ones for particular applications in THz biophotonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guzel R Musina
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Irina N Dolganova
- Institute of Solid State Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Russian Federation
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Nikita V Chernomyrdin
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Arsenii A Gavdush
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Vladislav E Ulitko
- Institute of Solid State Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Russian Federation
| | - Olga P Cherkasova
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Institute of Laser Physics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
- National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russian Federation
| | - Daria K Tuchina
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
- National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russian Federation
- Saratov State University, Saratov, Russian Federation
| | - Pavel V Nikitin
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Burdenko Neurosurgery Institute, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Anna I Alekseeva
- Research Institute of Human Morphology, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Natalia V Bal
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Gennady A Komandin
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Vladimir N Kurlov
- Institute of Solid State Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Russian Federation
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Valery V Tuchin
- National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russian Federation
- Saratov State University, Saratov, Russian Federation
- Institute of Precision Mechanics and Control of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saratov, Russian Federation
| | - Kirill I Zaytsev
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Russian Federation
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18
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Stoica AE, Grumezescu AM, Hermenean AO, Andronescu E, Vasile BS. Scar-Free Healing: Current Concepts and Future Perspectives. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 10:E2179. [PMID: 33142891 PMCID: PMC7693882 DOI: 10.3390/nano10112179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Every year, millions of people develop scars due to skin injuries after trauma, surgery, or skin burns. From the beginning of wound healing development, scar hyperplasia, and prolonged healing time in wound healing have been severe problems. Based on the difference between adult and fetal wound healing processes, many promising therapies have been developed to decrease scar formation in skin wounds. Currently, there is no good or reliable therapy to cure or prevent scar formation. This work briefly reviews the engineering methods of scarless wound healing, focusing on regenerative biomaterials and different cytokines, growth factors, and extracellular components in regenerative wound healing to minimize skin damage cell types, and scar formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Elena Stoica
- Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Gheorghe Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest, Romania; (A.E.S.); (A.M.G.); (E.A.)
- National Research Center for Micro and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu
- Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Gheorghe Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest, Romania; (A.E.S.); (A.M.G.); (E.A.)
| | - Anca Oana Hermenean
- Institute of Life Sciences, Vasile Goldiş Western University of Arad, 310025 Arad, Romania;
| | - Ecaterina Andronescu
- Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Gheorghe Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest, Romania; (A.E.S.); (A.M.G.); (E.A.)
| | - Bogdan Stefan Vasile
- Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Gheorghe Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest, Romania; (A.E.S.); (A.M.G.); (E.A.)
- National Research Center for Micro and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
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19
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Wang J, Lindley-Hatcher H, Liu K, Pickwell-MacPherson E. Evaluation of transdermal drug delivery using terahertz pulsed imaging. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 11:4484-4490. [PMID: 32923058 PMCID: PMC7449724 DOI: 10.1364/boe.394436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Transdermal drug delivery (TDD) is widely used for painless dosing due to its minimally invasive nature compared to hypodermic needle injection and its avoidance of the gastrointestinal tract. However, the stratum corneum obstructs the permeation of drugs into skin. Microneedle and nanoneedle patches are ways to enhance this permeation. In this work, terahertz (THz) imaging is utilized to compare the efficacy of different TDD methods including topical application and via a needle patch. Our work shows the feasibility and potential of using THz imaging to quantify and evaluate different transdermal application methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiarui Wang
- Department of Electronic Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | | | - Kai Liu
- Department of Electronic Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Emma Pickwell-MacPherson
- Department of Electronic Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
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20
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Nischwitz SP, Rauch K, Luze H, Hofmann E, Draschl A, Kotzbeck P, Kamolz LP. Evidence-based therapy in hypertrophic scars: An update of a systematic review. Wound Repair Regen 2020; 28:656-665. [PMID: 32506727 PMCID: PMC7539946 DOI: 10.1111/wrr.12839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hypertrophic scars are still a major burden for numerous patients, especially after burns. Many treatment options are available; however, no evidence-based treatment protocol is available with recommendations mostly emerging from experience or lower quality studies. This review serves to discuss the currently available literature. A systematic review was performed and the databases PubMed and Web of Science were searched for suitable publications. Only original articles in English that dealt with the treatment of hypertrophic scars in living humans were analyzed. Further, studies with a level of evidence lower than 1 as defined by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons were excluded. After duplicate exclusion, 1638 studies were screened. A qualitative assessment yielded 163 articles eligible for evidence grading. Finally nine studies were included. Four of them used intralesional injections, four topical therapeutics and one assessed the efficacy of CO2 -laser. Intralesional triamcinolone + fluorouracil injections, and topical pressure and/or silicone therapy revealed significant improvements in terms of scar height, pliability, and pigmentation. This systematic review showed that still few high-quality studies exist to evaluate therapeutic means and their mechanisms for hypertrophic scars. Among these, most of them assessed the efficacy of intralesional triamcinolone injections with the same treatment protocol. Intralesional injection appears to be the best option for hypertrophic scar treatment. Future studies should focus on a possible optimization of infiltrative therapies, consistent end-point evaluations, adequate follow-up periods, and possibly intraindividual treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian P Nischwitz
- COREMED - Cooperative Centre for Regenerative Medicine, JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Graz, Austria.,Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Hanna Luze
- COREMED - Cooperative Centre for Regenerative Medicine, JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Graz, Austria.,Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Hofmann
- COREMED - Cooperative Centre for Regenerative Medicine, JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Graz, Austria.,Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Petra Kotzbeck
- COREMED - Cooperative Centre for Regenerative Medicine, JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Graz, Austria.,Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Lars-Peter Kamolz
- COREMED - Cooperative Centre for Regenerative Medicine, JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Graz, Austria.,Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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21
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Fitzgerald AJ, Tie X, Hackmann MJ, Cense B, Gibson AP, Wallace VP. Co-registered combined OCT and THz imaging to extract depth and refractive index of a tissue-equivalent test object. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 11:1417-1431. [PMID: 32206419 PMCID: PMC7075603 DOI: 10.1364/boe.378506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Terahertz (THz) imaging and optical coherence tomography (OCT) provide complementary information with similar length scales. In addition to OCT's extensive use in ophthalmology, both methods have shown some promise for other medical applications and non-destructive testing. In this paper, we present an iterative algorithm that combines the information from OCT and THz imaging at two different measurement locations within an object to determine both the depth of the reflecting layers at the two locations and the unknown refractive index of the medium for both the OCT wavelengths and THz frequencies. We validate this algorithm using a silicone test object with embedded layers and show that the depths and refractive index values obtained from the algorithm agreed with the measured values to within 3.3%. We further demonstrate for the first time that OCT and THz images can be co-registered and aligned using unsupervised image registration. Hence we show that a combined OCT/THz system can provide unique information beyond the capability of the separate modalities alone, with possible applications in the medical, industrial and pharmaceutical sectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. J. Fitzgerald
- Department of Physics, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - X. Tie
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - M. J. Hackmann
- Optical+Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Department of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - B. Cense
- Optical+Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Department of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - A. P. Gibson
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - V. P. Wallace
- Department of Physics, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
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