Dynamic optical coherence elastography for skin burn assessment: A preliminary study on mice model.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Dermatology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Skin burns cause tissue coagulation necrosis, leading to altered mechanical properties like stiffness.
• Accurate, non-destructive assessment of burn-induced stiffness is crucial for diagnosis and treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the potential of dynamic phase-sensitive optical coherence elastography (OCE) for non-destructively assessing stiffness variations in burned skin.
• To correlate skin stiffness with burn severity (temperature and duration).

Main Methods:

• Developed and verified a dynamic OCE system using tissue-mimicking phantoms and Rayleigh wave speed measurements.
• Induced burns on murine skin at various temperatures and durations.
• Analyzed structural and stiffness changes using histological images, OCT B-scans, and OCE elastic wave speed maps.

Main Results:

• Histological and OCT imaging revealed structural changes in burned skin.
• OCE elastic wave speed maps clearly showed variations in stiffness, particularly at the scab edge.
• Statistical analysis indicated significantly greater stiffness in skin burned above 100°C compared to those burned below 100°C.

Conclusions:

• Dynamic OCE can effectively evaluate non-destructive, quantitative elasticity properties of burned skin.
• The technique demonstrates potential as a biomechanical extension module for diagnosing skin burn injuries.
• Burn temperature is a key factor influencing the increase in skin stiffness.