UBC Dermatology - Research - Laboratory for Advanced Medical Photonics

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UBC Dermatology - Research - Laboratory for Advanced Medical Photonics
The Department of Dermatology and Skin Science
835 West 10th Avenue
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada
V5Z 4E8

General Inquiries: 604-875-4747
Fax: 604-873-9919

info@derm.ubc.ca

The Laboratory for Advanced Medical Photonics (LAMP)
is dedicated towards using light to obtain diagnostic information about the skin as well to treat the skin.

Skin tissues are optically inhomogeneous and multi-layered turbid media. When light interacts with tissue, it is scattered and absorbed, and the tissue may produce fluorescence and Raman scattering. These interactions and the optical properties of tissue determine the distribution of incoming light inside the tissue, which is important for generation of any biological effects and for therapeutic applications. On the other hand, the optical properties and the effects of tissue on light are determined by the chemical composition, structure, and physiological state of the tissue. Therefore, pathological changes in tissue affect the re-emitted optical signal detected when shining a beam of light on the tissue.

Light based measurement of skin has the potential to improve non-invasive clinical diagnosis of various skin conditions including skin cancer. It may also lead to non-invasive assessment of treatment progress. We are currently exploring four different types of optical measurement modalities for skin diagnosis:


Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy, which explores elastic light scattering and light absorption by skin chromophores such as melanin, haemoglobin, bilirubin, and water etc..
Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Imaging, which explore molecular electronic energy transition related light emission of certain molecules in skin such as tyrosine, tryptophan, NADH, collagen, and elastin etc..
Raman Spectroscopy, which explores inelastic light scattering that gives fingerprint like spectral signatures of molecular vibrations. Molecules in skin that have unique Raman signatures include proteins, DNA, lipids, glucose, and melanin etc..
In-Vivo Confocal Microscopy, which provides sectional images of the skin at micron spatial resolution, allowing us to visualize cellular structures and micro-circulation in real time on living skin.
Light of different wavelengths, intensities, and pulse widths can be harnessed to treat various skin conditions such as skin cancer, psoriasis, and port wine stains etc. We are currently working on the following three types of phototherapies:

Ultraviolet Phototherapy
Laser Surgery
Photodynamic Therapy


Lab Leader
Dr. Harvey Lui

Lab Location
Vancouver General Hospital Research Pavilion, The Skin Care Centre, BC Cancer Research Centre

Staff
Mr. Wei Zhang

Clinical Fellow
Dr. Ahmad Al Robaee

Post-Doctoral FelloW
Dr. Doug Thiessen

Graduate Student
Mr. Xiao Han

Student
Charles Huang

Major Investigative Technologies Utilized
Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, fluorescence imaging, Raman spectroscopy, in vivo confocal microscopy, pulsed lasers

Recent Publications
Lau, D.P., Huang, Z., Lui, H., Anderson, D.W, Berean, K., Morrison, M. D., Liang, S., Zeng, H.: Raman Spectroscopy for Optical Diagnosis in the Larynx Ò Preliminary Findings. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 37: 192-200, 2005.
Hamzavi, I.,Shiff, N., Martinka, M., Huang, Z., McLean, DI., Zeng, H., Lui, H.: Spectroscopic Assessment of Dermal Melanin using Blue Vitiligo as an in vivo Model, Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2005. (In press)