A clinical feasibility study of burn assessment using spatial frequency domain imaging and laser speckle imaging

While visual clinical impression is the standard of care for burn severity assessment, accuracy improves after the injury progresses, leading to patients waiting days for a diagnosis. Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging (SFDI) has shown the potential to assess burn grade as early as 24 hours post-burn. Here, we compared SFDI and Laser Speckle Imaging (LSI) at 24 and 72 hours after burn injury to clinical burn severity diagnosis. Three patients with burns ranging in severity were imaged. Both techniques showed an ability to categorize burn severity 24 hours after the initial injury, well before the outcome was determined by a clinician at 72 hours or later.