Hyperspectral imaging and analysis of the nailfold capillaries

Nailfold capillaroscopy is a technique for imaging the capillary bed in the finger nailfold, which is used in the diagnosis of scleroderma. Knowledge of the capillary oxygenation profile would be advantageous in disease evaluation due to the suspected involvement of hypoxia in causing fibrosis. A hyperspectral nailfold capillaroscopy system with narrowband illumination provided by a supercontinuum laser and acousto-optic tuneable filter was created to enable spectral analysis of the nailfold. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) data from 500-595 nm was analysed to extract image quality metrics, which suggested HSI oximetry holds promise for understanding how rheumatic diseases affect oxygenation of the nailfold.