Optical coherence tomography for in vitro monitoring of wound healing after laser irradiation

We demonstrate a novel application of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to monitor post-laser irradiation collagen injury in model skin. An artificial skin model (RAFT), which closely approximates human skin, was irradiated with a Perovskite laser (/spl lambda/=1341 nm), which is under investigation for potential use as a nonablative laser skin rejuvenation device (NALSR). OCT was used to determine the extent of laser injury immediately post irradiation and, subsequently, to monitor tissue recovery over a seven-day period. OCT images clearly delineated areas of post-irradiation collagen injury and allowed noninvasive monitoring of the wound healing process. Histology was used for comparison and correlated well with OCT images. OCT offers advantages over standard histology as it is noninvasive and allows serial monitoring at the same site over time. Our results indicate that OCT has potential as a method for characterization of collagen injury post-laser irradiation and may be a useful tool for determination of optimal parameters for NALSR using different devices under investigation for this indication.