Patent ID: 7315752

Claim:
A method for determination of a light transport parameter characteristic of light scattering in skin tissue, the method comprising: irradiating light at a light irradiation site in at least three detection measurements; irradiating the light as a primary light at the light irradiation site into the skin tissue through a surface by means of a light-guiding element, wherein the light-guiding element contacts the surface of the skin tissue at the light irradiation site; irradiating the primary light into the skin tissue at the light irradiation site obliquely at a light irradiation angle between 5° and 85° relative to a normal on the surface; detecting light exiting the skin tissue through the surface as a secondary light at a detection site that is located in the at least three detection measurements at different measuring distances from the respective light irradiation site; measuring an intensity value of the secondary light; evaluating the light transport parameter which is characteristic of the light scattering in the skin tissue, wherein the light transport parameter is derived by means of an evaluation algorithm from the intensity values measured in the detection measurements, and wherein in at least two of said detection measurements, the measuring distance between the respective light irradiation site and the respective detection site corresponds to no more than approximately 3.5 mm.