In vivo dielectric analysis of free water content of biomaterials by time domain reflectometry

A method of in vivo analysis of the free water content in living organisms by dielectric analysis in the time domain is described. Human skin is chosen as an example of living tissue. The cells suitable for the measurement of various layers of human skin and calculation procedures for the waveform reflected from the probe end are described. The approach was confirmed to be effective for the determination of the water content through measurement of the standard samples, keratin-water mixtures. This method was also applied to human skin in vivo. Water content data measured with a probe specially designed for surface layer analysis were sensitive to humidity around the subject. The formula expressing the relation between the electrical field character of the probe, the permittivity depth profile, and the measured permittivity was used to analyze the water content profile as a function of the depth from the skin surface. The use of several kinds of probes, differing in their electric field characteristics, permitted evaluation of the water content depth profile of human skin. This procedure is easy and applicable to any sample due to its simplicity. The measurement needs only a touch of the probe on a sample spot. It is therefore a promising method of physicochemical research on living organisms and biomaterials. (C) 1997 Academic Press.