Optothermal Measurement of Water Distribution within the Stratum corneum

Abstract

Opto-thermal transient emission radiometry (OTTER) is a novel infrared remote sensing technology that can be used for water distribution within stratum corneum measurements. Comparing with other skin water content measurement techniques, OTTER has the advantages of non-contact, non-destructive, spectroscopic in nature, and can work on unprepared, arbitrary surfaces. Here we report our work on optothermal stratum corneum water measurements. We will first introduce the OTTER apparatus, then show the opto-thermal measurement results on stratum corneum surface hydration and hydration gradient, stratum corneum thickness, stratum corneum water diffusion coefficients, and stratum corneum hydration depth profiles.