Optical coherence profilometry (OCP) of human skin in vivo

Optical coherence profilometry (OCP) may be a useful tool for medical diagnosis of human skin. Different medical indications show distinct alterations of the skin surface. We measure the 3D shape of the surface of the skin by the use of the 'coherence radar', which is based on short- coherence-interferometry. The measuring uncertainty is less than 3 micrometers . The measuring time takes about 4 seconds. We perform in vivo 3D skin mapping of naked skin without preparation. We describe methods to compensate for the movement of the patient during the measurement. In order to realize the sensor for clinical application a fiber optical implementation is introduced.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.