Viscoelastometry of skin using shear wave propagation

摘要

The properties of the skin are quantitatively defined by inducing shear waves in the outermost layers of the skin. The response of the skin to these waves is measured in terms of changes in the phase and amplitude of the waves as they propagate through the skin. From such measurements, various relationships of the viscoelastic properties of the skin are determined. These viscoelastic properties are expressed in terms of the viscosity of each of the stratum corneum and epidermal layers as well as the elasticity of the stratum corneum. These quantitative parameters can then be used to generate various moduli which can be displayed in a manner that enables changes in such properties to be readily perceived.