Optical coherence tomography (OCT) of human skin with a slow-scan CCD-camera

The purpose of this research is to investigate and improve the possibilities of optical coherence tomography for evaluation and imaging of the skin structure and dermatological diseases as melanoma. Single point detection, as done with a photodiode on the human eye was not successful in reaching high resolutions in strong scattering media as the skin. Therefore, an experimental setup with a very sensitive slow-scan CCD-camera and a suitably adapted interferometric arrangement was built. Measurements were performed on models and ex vivo biological material up to a depth of 2 mm. Developments concerning a specially shaped fast detector head with on-line analogue data processing are presented.