Optoacoustic monitoring of bilirubin photodegradation

Hematomas resulted from trauma are very common, and the efficacy of existing treatment techniques is limited. Phototherapy can be used to expedite healing and improve the appearance of the damaged tissue. Efficient phototherapy requires determination of chromophore composition in hematoma, which can be provided by the optoacoustic (OA) technique, as it combines high spatial resolution and optical contrast. Here, we conducted experiments on photodegradation of bilirubin in gelatin slin phantoms. We have demonstrated that the OA technique allows monitoring of bilirubin concentration during photodegradation, and also distinguishing bilirubin concentration in depth. The obtained results suggest that OA monitoring may be used for efficient hematoma phototherapy.