We report on the use of a high-speed, fiber-based Mueller-matrix optical coherence tomography system with continuous source-polarization modulation for in vivo burn depth evaluation and healing monitoring. A homemade hand-held probe with integrated optical scanning and beam delivering optics was coupled in the sample arm. In vivo burn imaging was demonstrated on porcine skin at different stages of the wound healing process, where porcine skin was used because of its similarity to the human skin. Thermally damaged region was clearly localized in the depth-resolved phase retardation image extracted from the measured Jones matrix. The burn areas in the OCT images agreed well with the histology. By using a decomposition algorithm developed by our group, we also mapped the local birefringence of the skin. The experimental results demonstrate the system’s potential for in vivo burn-depth determination.

© 2008 Optical Society of America

1. American Burn Association, "Burn Incidence and Treatment in the US: 2000 Fact Sheet," (2000), http://www.ameriburn.org/resources_factsheet.php.
2. R. S. Cotran, V. Kumar, and S. L. Robbins, Robbins Pathologic bases of disease (W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, PA, 1999).
3. R. M. Johnson and R. Richards, "Partial-thickness burns: identification and management," Advances in skin and wound care 16, 178-187 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. J. F. deBoer, T. E. Milner, M. J. C. vanGemert, and J. S. Nelson, "Two-dimensional birefringence imaging in biological tissue by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography," Opt. Lett. 22, 934-936 (1997). [CrossRef]
5. M. R. Hee, D. Huang, E. A. Swanson, and J. G. Fujimoto, "Polarization-Sensitive Low-Coherence Reflectometer for Birefringence Characterization and Ranging," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 9, 903-908 (1992). [CrossRef]
6. J. F. deBoer, S. M. Srinivas, A. Malekafzali, Z. Chen, and J. S. Nelson, "Imaging thermally damaged tissue by polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography," Opt. Express 3, 212-218 (1998). [CrossRef]
7. S. L. Jiao, W. Yu, G. Stoica, and L. H. V. Wang, "Contrast mechanisms in polarization-sensitive Mueller-matrix optical coherence tomography and application in burn imaging," Appl. Opt. 42, 5191-5197 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. B. H. Park, C. Saxer, S. M. Srinivas, J. S. Nelson, and J. F. deBoer, "In vivo burn depth determination by high-speed fiber-based polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography," J. Biomed. Opt. 6, 474-479 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. S. M. Srinivas, J. F. deBoer, B. H. Park, K. Keikhanzadeh, H. L. Huang, J. Zhang, W. Q. Jung, Z. Chen, and J. S. Nelson, "Determination of burn depth by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography," J. Biomed. Opt. 9, 207-212 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. M. C. Pierce, R. L. Sheridan, B. H. Park, B. Cense, and J. F. deBoer, "Collagen denaturation can be quantified in burned human skin using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography," Burns 30, 511-517 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. G. Yao and L. V. Wang, "Two-dimensional depth-resolved Mueller matrix characterization of biological tissue by optical coherence tomography," Opt. Lett. 24, 537-539 (1999). [CrossRef]
12. S. L. Jiao, M. Todorovi�?, G. Stoica, and L. H. V. Wang, "Fiber-based polarization-sensitive Mueller matrix optical coherence tomography with continuous source polarization modulation," Appl. Opt. 44, 5463-5467 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. G. J. Tearney, B. E. Bouma, and J. G. Fujimoto, "High-speed phase- and group-delay scanning with a grating-based phase control delay line," Opt. Lett. 22, 1811-1813 (1997). [CrossRef]
14. United States National Institutes of Health, "Guide for the care and use of laboratory animals," (US Goverment Printing Office, Washington DC, 1985), NIH Publication No. 86-23.
15. M. Todorovi�?, S. L. Jiao, and L. V. Wang, "Determination of local polarization properties of biological samples in the presence of diattenuation by use of Mueller optical coherence tomography," Opt. Lett. 29, 2402-2404 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. M. J. Escamez, M. Garcia, F. Larcher, A. Meana, E. Munoz, J. L. Jorcano, and M. Del Rio, "An In Vivo Model of Wound Healing in Genetically Modified Skin-Humanized Mice," J. Investig. Dermatol. Symp. Proc. 123, 1182-1191 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Advances in skin and wound care

• R. M. Johnson and R. Richards, "Partial-thickness burns: identification and management," Advances in skin and wound care 16, 178-187 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Opt.

• S. L. Jiao, W. Yu, G. Stoica, and L. H. V. Wang, "Contrast mechanisms in polarization-sensitive Mueller-matrix optical coherence tomography and application in burn imaging," Appl. Opt. 42, 5191-5197 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. L. Jiao, M. Todorovi�?, G. Stoica, and L. H. V. Wang, "Fiber-based polarization-sensitive Mueller matrix optical coherence tomography with continuous source polarization modulation," Appl. Opt. 44, 5463-5467 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Burns

• M. C. Pierce, R. L. Sheridan, B. H. Park, B. Cense, and J. F. deBoer, "Collagen denaturation can be quantified in burned human skin using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography," Burns 30, 511-517 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

J. Biomed. Opt.

• B. H. Park, C. Saxer, S. M. Srinivas, J. S. Nelson, and J. F. deBoer, "In vivo burn depth determination by high-speed fiber-based polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography," J. Biomed. Opt. 6, 474-479 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. M. Srinivas, J. F. deBoer, B. H. Park, K. Keikhanzadeh, H. L. Huang, J. Zhang, W. Q. Jung, Z. Chen, and J. S. Nelson, "Determination of burn depth by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography," J. Biomed. Opt. 9, 207-212 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

J. Investig. Dermatol. Symp. Proc.

• M. J. Escamez, M. Garcia, F. Larcher, A. Meana, E. Munoz, J. L. Jorcano, and M. Del Rio, "An In Vivo Model of Wound Healing in Genetically Modified Skin-Humanized Mice," J. Investig. Dermatol. Symp. Proc. 123, 1182-1191 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• M. R. Hee, D. Huang, E. A. Swanson, and J. G. Fujimoto, "Polarization-Sensitive Low-Coherence Reflectometer for Birefringence Characterization and Ranging," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 9, 903-908 (1992). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• J. F. deBoer, S. M. Srinivas, A. Malekafzali, Z. Chen, and J. S. Nelson, "Imaging thermally damaged tissue by polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography," Opt. Express 3, 212-218 (1998). [CrossRef]

Opt. Lett.

• J. F. deBoer, T. E. Milner, M. J. C. vanGemert, and J. S. Nelson, "Two-dimensional birefringence imaging in biological tissue by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography," Opt. Lett. 22, 934-936 (1997). [CrossRef]
• M. Todorovi�?, S. L. Jiao, and L. V. Wang, "Determination of local polarization properties of biological samples in the presence of diattenuation by use of Mueller optical coherence tomography," Opt. Lett. 29, 2402-2404 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• G. Yao and L. V. Wang, "Two-dimensional depth-resolved Mueller matrix characterization of biological tissue by optical coherence tomography," Opt. Lett. 24, 537-539 (1999). [CrossRef]
• G. J. Tearney, B. E. Bouma, and J. G. Fujimoto, "High-speed phase- and group-delay scanning with a grating-based phase control delay line," Opt. Lett. 22, 1811-1813 (1997). [CrossRef]

Other

• United States National Institutes of Health, "Guide for the care and use of laboratory animals," (US Goverment Printing Office, Washington DC, 1985), NIH Publication No. 86-23.
• American Burn Association, "Burn Incidence and Treatment in the US: 2000 Fact Sheet," (2000), http://www.ameriburn.org/resources_factsheet.php.
• R. S. Cotran, V. Kumar, and S. L. Robbins, Robbins Pathologic bases of disease (W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, PA, 1999).

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