Quantification of skin sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation using ultrawideband optoacoustic mesoscopy

Abstract

Phototesting is used to assess individual sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) radiation in order to determine adequate UV dosage for phototherapy1 . In the standard procedure, small skin areas are exposed to increasing doses of UV radiation. The lowest UV dose that induces a delineated erythema at 24±2 h after UV exposure defines the minimal erythema dose (MED)2 . Visual assessment is the gold standard for MED determination; however, it is prone to observer variability3 . Optical methods have been considered to quantify the magnitude of erythema response. However, they are limited by light scattering therefore high-resolution is restricted to depths of <200 μm resulting in unreliable measurements4,5 .