Patent ID: 6544183
Filing Date: 2003-04-08
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A method for imaging the intercellular and intracellular structure of a skin surface comprising:(1) choosing a desired site of any desired size or shape on the subject's body; (2) topically applying a contrast enhancing compound, which compound absorbs heterogeneously at the skin surface, to the chosen site on the surface of the skin using any suitable application method; (3) acquiring a single image which focuses all skin cells on said skin surface if the skin is within the focal plane of the imaging instrument used or optionally acquiring multiple images if the skin surface is not within the focal plane of the imaging instrument used, by any suitable method, of an area that is contained within the site that the compound was applied to; (4) if the skin surface area that is imaged is not within the focal plane of the imaging instrument, reconstructing the multiple images into a single image that displays all cells on the skin surface in focus by performing a maximum intensity rendering; (5) optionally repeating steps (3) and (4) to collect additional images as required.