In vivo tomographic characterization of skin chromophore based on hyperspectral imaging

The concentration of chromophores in human skin provides crucial information for non-invasive skin diagnostics, particularly in clinical and dermatological applications. However, few studies have reported chromophore concentration measurements at different skin depths. This paper introduces a method for tomographic measurement of skin chromophore concentrations using reflectance spectra. By considering the variations in hemoglobin content at different skin depths, we developed a dual-band skin reflectance spectral model(DBSRS) and employed a hyperspectral camera to measure spectral reflectance. Chromophores, including oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and melanin, were estimated using the DBSRS model and the subject's reflectance spectra. Using this method, we analyzed chromophore concentrations at different skin depths, revealing distinct variation patterns in oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin. Furthermore, melanin concentrations were measured in individuals with different skin phototypes, revealing a significant correlation between phototype and melanin content. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed DBSRS model in characterizing in vivo skin chromophore concentrations at varying depths.