Non-Invasive Optical Diagnostics of Pigment Formations of Human Skin

Abstract

Measurement results of spectral reflection characteristics under multiple light scattering by healthy skin and by skin regions with melanoma or nevus are given. Experimental setup that operates on the base of the Taylor method is described. It is shown that the diffuse reflectance R of melanoma skin is lower at all the studied wavelengths from the range about 450 to 1000 nm as compared with that of healthy and benign nevus skin. This conclusion is confirmed by a large number of measurements of big groups of different persons. The gathered data demonstrated an opportunity to differ malignant and healthy or benign formations, while operating in the visible to near IR range. Examples of such a differentiation at several wavelengths are given