Optical coherence tomography is an imaging method best described as “ultrasound but with light”. It is a non-invasive imaging technique that allows for rapid subsurface imaging of the skin, allowing us to reveal key health properties.
Polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is a new non-invasive imaging technique. In collaboration with the UBC Biomedical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence research cluster, we have discovered that the technique quickly and accurately measures skin surface roughness, collagen organization, and melanin concentration; all important clues for the diagnosis of melanoma and other skin cancers. This study is a preliminary field test of PS-OCT, to determine its capabilities for imaging on a wide range of people in vivo. We are asking volunteers to have sites on their hand, arm, and face measured both by PS-OCT and two accompanying techniques: polarization speckle probing for roughness measurement, and colorimetry for pigmentation measurement. All of these measurements are as harmless as having a photo taken, and will be done over the course of a one hour imaging session at the University of British Columbia. These results will allow for the future development of rapid skin assessment technology.