Abstract
An infrared (IR) absorbance sensor has been designed, realized and tested with the aim of detecting malignant melanomas in human skin biopsies. The sensor has been designed to obtain fast measurements (80 s) of a biopsy using a small light spot (0.5 mm in diameter, typically five to 10 times smaller than the biopsy size) to investigate different biopsy areas. The sensor has been equipped with a monochromator to record the whole IR spectrum in the 3330–3570 nm wavelength range (where methylene and methyl stretching vibrations occur) for a qualitative spectral investigation. From the collected spectra, the CH2 stretch ratio values (ratio of the absorption intensities of the symmetric to asymmetric CH2 stretching peaks) are determined and studied as a cancer indicator. Melanoma areas exhibit different spectral shapes and significantly higher CH2 stretch ratios when compared to healthy skin. The results of the infrared investigation are compared with standard histology. This study shows that the IR sensor is a promising supportive tool to improve the diagnosis of melanoma during histopathological analysis, decreasing the risk of misdiagnosis.
Highlights
Cutaneous malignant melanoma is the deadliest and most aggressive form of skin cancer and is fatal if left untreated [1,2]
We studied the possibility of using the CH2 stretch ratio as a cancer indicator
Standard histological examination was performed by an expert histopathologist prior to the infrared investigation by the IR sensor
Summary
Cutaneous malignant melanoma is the deadliest and most aggressive form of skin cancer and is fatal if left untreated [1,2]. Cutaneous melanoma originates from melanocytes, pigment-producing cells located together with keratinocytes in the basal layer of the skin, close to the dermis [3]. The first step for diagnosis of melanoma is based on visual examination, i.e., assessing the lesion using the ABCDE approach, observation of abnormalities in asymmetry, border, color, diameter and evolution of the suspicious skin portion [6]. Histopathology is the gold standard for melanoma diagnosis; it remains a subjective method highly based on the expertise and training of the pathologist. Clinical diagnosis of melanoma is sometimes difficult for Sensors 2016, 16, 1659; doi:10.3390/s16101659 www.mdpi.com/journal/sensors
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