Multi-spectral optical imaging of skin to diagnose malignant melanoma

Multi-spectral transillumination (MST) imaging facilitates the diagnosis and classification of melanoma by giving crucial information about the depth of invasion. The combined analysis of MST images can give information regarding the cell growth pattern within the lesion. In this study, an optical imaging device called the Nevoscope is used for the collection of MST images of skin and skin lesions. Skin is an inhomogeneous, multilayer tissue. Due to its inhomogeneity on the microscopic level, light entering the skin can be absorbed or scattered or can be reflected at the layer boundaries. The light remitted from the skin is collected by the Nevoscope to produce the MST images.