Ageing affects both the structure and the function of the skin. This results in degradation of physiological functions and biophysical properties of organs and tissues putting an alarming economic and social burden on governments and healthcare services. Any significant alteration of skin’s mechanical properties that could affect its structural integrity and barrier function has the potential to cause health effects. With age, the collagen and elastin fibre networks in the dermis become compacted leading to reduction in dermis thickness. Skin photoaging leads to solar elastosis or disintegration of elastic fibers and accumulation of amorphous, thick ended, fragmented elastic fibers. The skin aging process is not yet fully understood.
KEYWORDS: Collagen, Microscopy, Skin, Acoustics, Atomic force microscopy, Ultrasonics, Signal attenuation, In vitro testing, Diagnostics, Atomic force microscope
Skin aging is a complex process accompanied by alterations in skin structure and function. We have investigated the age-related changes in collagen on dermal collagen’s physical properties. Nanomechanical properties of collagen fibrils studied using atomic force microscope nano-indentation and viscoelasticity of the collagen fibers assessed by the acoustic microscopy was investigated. The increase in Young’s modulus with increased age correlated with the increase in sound speed and attenuation is probably due to a change in the density of the fibrils caused by water retention within the fibrils and cross-linkage between fibrils.
KEYWORDS: Collagen, Microscopy, Skin, Acoustics, Atomic force microscopy, Ultrasonics, Signal attenuation, In vitro testing, Diagnostics, Atomic force microscope
Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) affects the permanent incisors and molars, whose undermineralized matrix is evidenced by lesions ranging from white to yellow/brown opacities to crumbling enamel lesions incapable of withstanding normal occlusal forces and function. Diagnosing the condition involves clinical and radiographic examination of these teeth, with known limitations in determining the depth extent of the enamel defects in particular. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an emerging hard and soft tissue imaging technique, which was investigated as a new potential diagnostic method in dentistry. A comparison between the diagnostic potential of the conventional methods and OCT was conducted. Compared to conventional imaging methods, OCT gave more information on the structure of the enamel defects as well as the depth extent of the defects into the enamel structure. Different types of enamel defects were compared, each type presenting a unique identifiable pattern when imaged using OCT. Additionally, advanced methods of OCT image analysis including backscattered light intensity profile analysis and enface reconstruction were performed. Both methods confirmed the potential of OCT in enamel defects diagnosis. In conclusion, OCT imaging enabled the identification of the type of enamel defect and the determination of the extent of the enamel defects in MIH with the advantage of being a radiation free diagnostic technique.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.