Component and system evaluation for the development of a handheld point-of-care spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) device

Recently, digital photography has become an efficient and economic method to assist dermatologists in monitoring skin characteristics. Although this technology has advanced a great deal in resolution and costs, conventional digital cameras continue to only provide qualitative recording of color information. To address this issue, we are developing a compact, quantitative skin imaging camera by employing spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI), a non-contact approach for determining tissue optical properties over a wide field-of-view. SFDI uses knowledge of optical properties at multiple wavelengths to recover concentrations of tissue constituents such as oxy/deoxy-hemoglobin, water, and melanin. This method has been well researched and presented in laboratory and research settings. The next step in the development of SFDI systems is to make typical systems compact and cheaper using commercial components. We present our findings by performing a component-by-component analysis of key SFDI system components including light sources, projectors, and cameras.