Sergey A. Telenkov

Optical and thermal properties of nasal septal cartilage

The aim of the study was to measure the spectral dependence of optical absorption and reduced scattering coefficients and thermal conductivity and diffusivity of porcine nasal septal cartilage. Values of optical and thermal properties determined in this study may aid in determining laser dosimetry and allow selection of an optical source wavelength for noninvasive diagnostics for laser‐assisted reshaping of cartilage.

Non-contact measurement of thermal diffusivity in tissue

We demonstrate the application of an infrared (IR) imaging technique for non-contact determination of thermal diffusivity in biological materials. The proposed method utilizes pulsed laser excitation to produce an initial three-dimensional temperature distribution in tissue, and records IR images of subsequent heat diffusion. The theoretical model assumes that the time-dependent temperature increase following pulsed laser exposure is due to independent heat diffusion in longitudinal and lateral directions. A nonlinear least-squares algorithm is used to compute the lateral thermal point spread function from a pair of recorded IR images and to determine the thermal diffusivity of a test specimen. The recorded time-sequence of IR images is used to compute thermal diffusivity as a function of increasing time interval between two IR emission images. Experimental application of the method was demonstrated using tissue phantoms, ex vivo samples of hydrated cartilage and in vivo epidermis.

Differential phase optical coherence probe for depth-resolved detection of photothermal response in tissue

We describe a differential phase low-coherence interferometric probe for non-invasive, quantitative imaging of photothermal phenomena in biological materials. Our detection method utilizes principles of optical coherence tomography with differential phase measurement of interference fringe signals. A dual-channel optical low-coherence probe is used to analyse laser-induced thermoelastic and thermorefractive effects in tissue with micrometre axial resolution and nanometre sensitivity. We demonstrate an application of the technique using tissue phantoms and ex-vivo tissue specimens of rodent dorsal skin.

Combining two excitation wavelengths for pulsed photothermal profiling of hypervascular lesions in human skin

When pulsed photothermal radiometry (PPTR) is used for depth profiling of hypervascular lesions in human skin, melanin absorption also heats the most superficial skin layer (epidermis). Determination of lesion depth may be difficult when it lies close to the epidermal dermal junction, due to PPTRs limited spatial resolution. To overcome this problem, we have developed an approximation technique, which uses two excitation wavelengths (585 and 600 nm) to separate the vascular and epidermal components of the PPTR signal. This technique permits a noninvasive determination of lesion depth and epidermal thickness in vivo, even when the two layers are in close physical proximity to each other. Such information provides the physician with guidance in selecting the optimal parameters for laser therapy on an individual patient basis.

Coherent thermal wave imaging of subsurface chromophores in biological materials

Thermal wave imaging of discrete subsurface chromophores in biological materials is reported using a phase sensitive coherent detection technique applied to recorded infrared (IR) images. We demonstrate that utilization of a periodically modulated laser source for thermal wave excitation and coherent detection applied to each pixel may be used to compute images of thermal wave amplitude and phase at the laser modulation frequency. In comparison to recorded IR images, the narrow-band detection technique significantly improves the quality of thermal wave amplitude images of subsurface chromophores in biological materials. Additionally, the technique provides phase information, which may be used to estimate chromophore depth in tissue. Application of the technique is demonstrated using tissue phantoms and in vivo biological models. We present a theoretical analysis and computer simulations that demonstrate the effect of tissue optical and thermal properties on thermal wave amplitude and phase. In comparison to the pulsed photothermal technique, coherent thermal wave imaging of subsurface chromophores in tissue for diagnostic applications allows reduction of peak incident laser fluence by as much as four orders of magnitude and is safer and more amenable to in vivo imaging.

Critical temperature transitions in laser-mediated cartilage reshaping

In this study, we attempted to determine the critical temperature [Tc] at which accelerated stress relaxation occurred during laser mediated cartilage reshaping. During laser irradiation, mechanically deformed cartilage tissue undergoes a temperature dependent phase transformation which results in accelerated stress relaxation. When a critical temperature is attained, cartilage becomes malleable and may be molded into complex new shapes that harden as the tissue cools. Clinically, reshaped cartilage tissue can be used to recreate the underlying cartilaginous framework of structures such as the ear, larynx, trachea, and nose. The principal advantages of using laser radiation for the generation of thermal energy in tissue are precise control of both the space-time temperature distribution and time- dependent thermal denaturation kinetics. Optimization of the reshaping process requires identification of the temperature dependence of this phase transformation and its relationship to observed changes in cartilage optical, mechanical, and thermodynamic properties. Light scattering, infrared radiometry, and modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) were used to measure temperature dependent changes in the biophysical properties of cartilage tissue during fast (laser mediated) and slow (conventional calorimetric) heating. Our studies using MDSC and laser probe techniques have identified changes in cartilage thermodynamic and optical properties suggestive of a phase transformation occurring near 60 degrees Celsius.

Infrared imaging of in vivo microvasculature following pulsed laser irradiation.

Infrared emission images of the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) microvasculature following pulsed laser irradiation were recorded using a high speed infrared focal plane array camera. A three-dimensional tomographic reconstruction algorithm was applied to compute the initial space-dependent temperature increase in discrete CAM blood vessels caused by light absorption. The proposed method may provide consistent estimates of the physical dimensions of subsurface blood vessels and may be useful in understanding a variety of biomedical engineering problems involving laser-tissue interaction.

Thermally induced birefringence changes in cartilage using polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography

Thermodynamic induced changes in birefringence of nasal septal cartilage following Nd:YAG laser irradiation were investigated using a polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PSOCT) system. Birefringence in cartilage is due to the asymmetrical collagen fibril structure and may change if the underlying structure is disrupted due to local heat generation by absorption of laser radiation. A PSOCT instrument and an infrared imaging radiometer were used to record, respectively, depth-resolved images of the Stokes parameters of light backscattered from ex vivo porcine nasal septal cartilage and radiometric temperature following laser irradiation. PSOCT images of cartilage were recorded before (control), during, and after laser irradiation. From the measured Stokes parameters (I,Q,U, and V), an estimate of the relative phase retardation between two orthogonal polarizations was computed to determine birefringence in cartilage. Stokes parameter images of light backscattered from cartilage show significant changes due to laser irradiation. From our experiments we differentiate dehydration and thermal denaturation effects and observe the birefringence changes only in the dehydration effect. Therefore, a dynamic measurement of birefringence changes in cartilage using PSOCT as a feedback control methodology to monitor thermal denaturation is problematic in non-ablative surgical procedures such as laser assisted cartilage reshaping.

Porcine Skin Thermal Response to Near-IR Lasers Using a Fast Infrared Camera

We have measured the Minimum Visible Lesion (MVL) thresholds for porcine skin and determined the ED50 for exposures at 1314 nm and 0.35 ms laser pulses. An in-vivo pigmented animal model, Yucatan mini-pig (Sus scrofa domestica), was used in this study. We also have measured the thermal response using a high-speed Infrared camera for single pulse temperature recordings for Gaussian beams of 1 mm diameter. Several 2-D measurements of temperature as a function of time were made with an IR array detector thermal camera using a sampling rate of 100 frames per second. In Vitro samples of the same pig skin were used for measurements of the optical properties (absorption coefficient, μa, and reduced scattering coefficient μs) as a function of wavelength around 1315 nm wavelength. A measured surface temperature distribution for one IR laser pulse of 0.37J at a spot size of 1.2 mm diameter gave approximately a 43° C rise at a hot spot. Temperature distributions as a function of time and space will be presented and compared with the measured thresholds.

Low-coherence interferometric detection of photo-thermal and photo-acoustic effects in tissue

We have developed a low-coherence optical sensor for detection of laser-induced thermoelastic deformations in biological materials. The presented optical sensor utilizes a birefringent fiber-based dual channel low-coherence Michelson interferometer capable of differential phase measurements. We demonstrate that the low-coherence sensor can be used for spatially-resolved measurements of laser-induced thermoelastic deformations in biological materials with high axial resolution. Experimental studies were carried out using gelatin-based tissue phantoms.