Two-dimensional dielectric imaging for dermatologic screening: a feasibility study

The diagnosis of skin neoplasia can be very challenging, given the low sensitivity and specificity of traditional methods of diagnosis which are based on visual appearance. Techniques which are based on the dielectric properties of cells can improve the diagnostic accuracy of screening techniques; as an example, point-contact coaxial probes for dielectric measurement can improve diagnostic accuracy. Unfortunately, these probes are not well suited for two-dimensional spatial imaging of the skin surface, given that they must be manually scanned over the skin surface.

An electronic scanning probe was developed and fabricated to simulate an open-ended coaxial probe suitable for two-dimensional dielectric imaging of human skin in real time. A clinical study was undertaken to demonstrate proof-of-concept for the instrumentation. A select group of normal healthy subjects as well as a subject with diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma participated in this study. The electronic scanning probe was found to be a potentially useful tool for providing two-dimensional images from diseased skin.

The electronic scanning probe used for the present study addresses existing limitations with current coaxial probes. Measurements of healthy and diseased areas of skin are provided to illustrate the feasibility of the approach.