Sensitivity and specificity analysis of fringing-field dielectric spectroscopy applied to a multi-layer system modelling the human skin

The sensitivity and specificity of dielectric spectroscopy for the detection of dielectric changes inside a multi-layered structure is investigated. We focus on providing a base for sensing physiological changes in the human skin, i.e. in the epidermal and dermal layers. The correlation between changes of the human skin's effective permittivity and changes of dielectric parameters and layer thickness of the epidermal and dermal layers is assessed using numerical simulations. Numerical models include fringing-field probes placed directly on a multi-layer model of the skin. The resulting dielectric spectra in the range from 100 kHz up to 100 MHz for different layer parameters and sensor geometries are used for a sensitivity and specificity analysis of this multi-layer system. First, employing a coaxial probe, a sensitivity analysis is performed for specific variations of the parameters of the epidermal and dermal layers. Second, the specificity of this system is analysed based on the roots and corresponding sign changes of the computed dielectric spectra and their first and second derivatives. The transferability of the derived results is shown by a comparison of the dielectric spectra of a coplanar probe and a scaled coaxial probe. Additionally, a comparison of the sensitivity of a coaxial probe and an interdigitated probe as a function of electrode distance is performed. It is found that the sensitivity for detecting changes of dielectric properties in the epidermal and dermal layers strongly depends on frequency. Based on an analysis of the dielectric spectra, changes in the effective dielectric parameters can theoretically be uniquely assigned to specific changes in permittivity and conductivity. However, in practice, measurement uncertainties may degrade the performance of the system.