Water content distribution imaging of skin tissue using near-infrared camera and measurement depth analysis

Wavelength-dependent light penetration depth in the measurement of water distribution of the skin tissue is analyzed. Near-infrared (NIR) imaging enables 2-D water content map on the skin tissue because water absorbs light strongly in the NIR region particularly around the wavelengths of 1450 and 1920 nm. However, the depth of the light penetration depends largely on wavelength as the absorption coefficient of water changes considerably in the NIR range. We investigate the measurement depth of the water content mapping with a NIR camera and bandpass filters at the wavelengths of 1300, 1450 and 1920 nm. Analysis is performed with Monte Carlo light scattering simulation adopting the optical parameters which is derived from the depth profile of the water contents measured by the confocal Raman spectroscopy. It is found that the NIR image in 1920 nm gives the highest sensitivity to the water content in the surface layer of the skin tissue.