Optoacoustic monitoring of water content in tissue phantoms and human skin

Skin water content monitoring is important for diagnostics and management of edema, dehydration, and other skin conditions as well as for cosmetic applications. Because optoacoustic (OA) technique has high (optical) contrast and (ultrasound) resolution and significant probing depth, it may be suitable for accurate, noninvasive water content monitoring in the skin. In this work we studied OA response from skin tissue phantoms and human wrist skin in the wavelength range from 1370 nm to 1650 nm using a novel, tunable OPO OA system. We identified optimal wavelengths for OA water content monitoring in different skin layers. The results of our study suggest that the OA technique may become a valuable, quantitative tool for accurate, high-resolution water content monitoring in the skin and other tissues and may find wide applications in dermatology, cosmetology, and tissue trauma management.

Automated summary

Optoacoustic technique shows promise as an accurate and noninvasive tool for monitoring water content in the skin, with potential applications in dermatology, cosmetology, and tissue trauma management. By studying OA response across different skin layers, optimal wavelengths for water content monitoring were identified, indicating its potential as a valuable quantitative tool with high-resolution capabilities.