Our Funds at Work

Measurements of skin tissue morphology by laser speckle device

Tim K. Lee, PhD, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC

We are proposing a novel, non-invasive, efficient and reliable optical technique for malignant melanoma (MM) detection. MM is the most aggressive form of skin cancers and could be lethal if it is left untreated. MM has become a major health problem in the western world with the disease incidence increasing rapidly and steadily for the last 4 decades. Diagnosing MM is a difficult task because many benign skin conditions may resemble melanoma. Reported diagnostic accuracy for non-dermatologists was low. Automatic instrumental techniques based on objective measurements may help subjective clinical assessments. The new technique proposed in this application examines the speckle pattern formed on the skin surface when it is illuminated by laser light.
Because different types of skin lesions have different distribution on particles’ size, when lights enter a lesion, the expected light propagation trajectory varies depending on the particle size distribution. Consequentially, the light-tissue interaction also affects the speckle size. Therefore, by measuring the speckle size, we can examine skin morphology, which may be used to diagnose MM and other skin diseases.

Peer Reviewed Publications Supported by the Canadian Dermatology Foundation

1. Markhvida I, Tchvialeva L, Lee TK, and Zeng H. The Influence of Geometry on Polychromatic Speckle Contrast. Journal of the Optical Society of America A: Optics, Image Science & Vision. 2007;24(1):93-97.

2. Tchvialeva L, Lee TK, Markhvida I, McLean DI, Lui H, Zeng H. Geometry influence on polychromatic speckle contrast. Proceedings of the International Conference SPECKLE06. Nimes, France, Sept 13-15, 2006;63411V1-163411V6.

©2008