Quantitative monitoring of the wound healing process of fractional laser photothermolysis using optical coherence tomography

• Main Authors: Chia Chi Ting, 丁家麒
• Other Authors: M. T. Tsai
• Format: Others
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/20417209320235020611

碩士 === 長庚大學 === 電機工程學系 === 101 === Fractional photo-thermolysis induced by ablative fractional lasers (AFLs) or non-ablative fractional lasers (NAFLs) can remodel the skin, regenerate collagen, and remove tumor tissue. However, fractional laser treatments may result in severe side effects, and multiple treatments are required to achieve the expected outcome. Thus, the downtime and treatment outcome after fractional laser treatments are key issues to consider when developing a treatment strategy. In this study, an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system was implemented for in vivo studies of wound healing after AFL and NAFL treatments. According to the OCT scanning results, the laser-induced micro-thermal zones (MTZs) could also be morphologically identified and quantitatively evaluated. To continue monitoring the wound healing process, the treated regions were scanned using OCT at different time points, and the en-face images at various tissue depths were extracted from three-dimensional OCT images. Furthermore, to quantitatively evaluate the morphological changes at different tissue depths during wound healing, an algorithm was developed to distinguish the backscattering properties of untreated and treated tissues. The results showed that the coagulation damage induced by the NAFLs could be rapidly healed in 6 days. In contrast, the tissue volatilization induced by AFLs required a longer recovery time of 14 days. In conclusion, this study establishes the feasibility of this methodology as a means of clinically monitoring treatment outcomes and wound healing after fractional laser treatments.