In-vivo Biomechanical Analysis for Skin Diagnosis
The skin is with about 1.5m2 the largest and most functionally complex organ of living organisms. This organ functions as a barrier protecting us from potential harm like loss of water, pathogens or UV radiation. Additionally, the skin allows for perceiving temperature, pain and touching. Damages of the skin can be very severe and range from simple lesions up to life-threatening skin diseases.
The external pageSKINTEGRITY project aims at the development of more efficient diagnoses and therapies of skin diseases and acute and chronic wounds. With this research, we focus on the development of measurement techniques to characterize mechanical skin properties of healthy and diseased skin.
One of the analyzed diseases is Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), a heterogeneous autoimmune inflammatory disorder. The disease results in a progressive fibrotic process, responsible for massive deposition of collagen and extracellular matrix (ECM) in tissues. The collagen and ECM deposition leads to extensive thickening and hardening of the skin. We aim at identifying these diagnostic factors based on quantitative and objective measurements with a suction based measurement technique. Results will be rationalized with finite element models of the skin and corresponding constitutive model equations.
The same measurement technique will be applied to monitor integration of skin substitutes used to repair large wounds. Despite tremendous prevention efforts, burn injuries remain a global health crisis. Advances in fluid resuscitation and critical care for burn patients, mortality rates for major burns have reduced significantly. With increased survival of patients with extensive burns, clinicians and researchers face the challenge of providing high quality burn wound coverage for deep partial thickness and full thickness burns, both in terms of function and aesthetics. Besides this, the decision which therapy should be applied, is a difficult one and often based on subjective factors. With an in-vivo, suction based measurement technique an objective analysis of the situation should be enabled. We aim at an in-vivo monitoring method of the integration of skin substitutes and formation of burn scars.