Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) introduced its Handheld Skin Quality Optical Coherence Tomography (HSQ-OCT). An alternative to animal testing techniques, the device is meant to provide real-time, noninvasive analysis of skin structure and quality for cosmetic validation.
Related: Global Experts Outline Next-gen, Animal-alternative Cosmetic Test Tenets
Suitable for studies with human volunteers, the device takes factors such as variations in pore size, dermal thickness, collagen density and number of blood vessels into account as biological parameters when measuring skin quality. It can also obtain in vivo OCT images without injuring skin.
The portable nature of the HSQ-OCT has the potential to foster higher-efficiency cosmetic experiments and reduce development time and cost. It is reportedly the first handheld OTC system capable of visualizing subsurface skin structures and detecting collagen distribution in the dermis. The lightweight device also includes anti-shake technology, allowing it to be operated with one hand.
The technology was a finalist in the 2018 R&D 100 Awards, and is available for licensing. For more on the device, please visit www.itri.org.tw/eng.
