Exoscope-based videocapillaroscopy system for in vivo skin microcirculation imaging of various body areas

• Published in: Biomedical optics express 2021-08, Vol.12 (8), p.4627-4636
• Main Authors: Machikhin, Alexander S, Volkov, Mikhail V, Khokhlov, Demid D, Lovchikova, Ekaterina D, Potemkin, Andrey V, Danilycheva, Inna V, Dorofeeva, Irina V, Shulzhenko, Andrey E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2156-7085; 2156-7085
• DOI: 10.1364/boe.420786

The capillary system immediately responds to many pathologies and environmental conditions. Accurate monitoring of its functioning often enables early detection of various diseases related to disorders in skin microcirculation. To expand the scope of capillaroscopy application, it is reasonable to visualize and assess blood microcirculation exactly in the areas of inflamed skin. Body vibrations, breathing, non-flat skin surface and other factors hamper the application of conventional capillaroscopes outside the nailfold area. In this paper, we propose an exoscope-based optical system for high-quality non-invasive computational imaging of capillary network in various areas of the body. Accurate image matching and tracking temporal intensity variations allow detecting the presence of blood pulsations, precise mapping of capillaries and photoplethysmogram acquisition. We have demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed approach experimentally by mapping and analysis of microvessels in wrist, forearm, upper-arm, breast and hip areas. We believe that the developed system will increase the diagnostic value of video capillaroscopy in clinical practice.