Application of SHG Microscopy for Skin Measurements

Abstract

Second-harmonic-generation (SHG) microscopy is an attractive imaging modality for the in situ visualizations of collagen fiber in tissues. For example, collagen fibers in dermis can be visualized as the optical sectioning of 3D images with high selectivity, good image contrast, high spatial resolution, and moderate penetration without staining. Furthermore, the image analysis of SHG images enables us to obtain the quantitative parameters of collagen synthesis, assembly, and distribution; polarization analysis gives additional information in terms of microscopic fiber orientation. In this paper, we introduce our recent research progress and discuss the advantages of SHG microscopy in skin measurements.