Remote optical configuration of pigmented lesion detection and diagnosis of bone fractures

Abstract

In this paper we present a novel approach of realizing a safe, simple, and inexpensive sensor applicable to bone fractures and pigmented lesions detection. The approach is based on temporal tracking of back-reflected secondary speckle pattern generated while illuminating the affected area with a laser and applying periodic pressure to the surface via a controlled vibration. The use of such a concept was already demonstrated for non-contact monitoring of various bio-medical parameters such as heart rate, blood pulse pressure, concentration of alcohol and glucose in the blood stream and intraocular pressure. The presented technique is a safe and effective method of detecting bone fractures in populations at risk. When applied to pigmented lesions, the technique is superior to visual examination in avoiding many false positives and resultant unnecessary biopsies. Applying a series of different vibration frequencies at the examined tissue and analyzing the 2-D speckle pattern trajectory in response to the applied periodic pressure creates a unique signature for each and different pigmented lesion. Analyzing these signatures is the first step toward detection of malignant melanoma. In this paper we present preliminary experiments that show the validity of the developed sensor for both applications: the detection of damaged bones as well as the classification of pigmented lesions.