Patent ID: 8597187

Claim:
A noninvasive diagnostic device for measuring a surface topography associated with an epithelium of a mammal comprising: a hand-held outer housing having a bottom surface that includes an aperture, wherein the bottom surface is adapted to contact an epithelium of a mammal such that the outer housing moves with a movement of the epithelium; a probe recessed within the outer housing and positioned above said aperture, the probe comprising a conducting plate; a vibration unit attached to said probe configured to vibrate said probe over the epithelium of the mammal, wherein the vibration of the probe defines an oscillation path of the probe; a voltage supply configured to create a voltage bias between the probe and the epithelium; a positioning device having a first motor attached to the hand-held outer housing configured to move the probe in an x direction with respect to the outer housing aperture, and a second motor attached to the probe configured to maintain a substantially constant distance in a z direction between the epithelium and a point on the oscillation path of the probe; and a system for recording or displaying travel of the positioning device second motor in the z direction, wherein said travel represents a surface topography of the epithelium.