Assessing skin hydration status in haemodialysis patients using terahertz spectroscopy: a pilot/feasibility study

Phys Med Biol. 2008 Dec 21;53(24):7063-71. doi: 10.1088/0031-9155/53/24/004. Epub 2008 Nov 18.

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy was used in vivo to measure the body reflectance with the aim of determining experimentally the influence of haemodialysis on the content of water in the human skin. For this purpose, an original methodology of determining the skin properties at THz frequencies from the reflectance was developed. A series of measurements were performed before and after dialysis with ten subjects. The results strongly indicate that the surface body hydration is not the main parameter determining the skin conductivity in the THz range.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Electric Conductivity
  • Equipment Design
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Humans
  • Kidney Diseases / pathology*
  • Optics and Photonics
  • Renal Dialysis / adverse effects*
  • Skin / metabolism
  • Skin / pathology*
  • Skin Physiological Phenomena*
  • Terahertz Spectroscopy / instrumentation*
  • Terahertz Spectroscopy / methods*
  • Time Factors
  • Water / metabolism*

Substances

  • Water