Silicon Image Sensor Technology for in vivo Detection of Surfactant-Induced Corneocyte Swelling and Drying

Abstract

Background: Several instrumental methods can indirectly assess some specific aspects of cutaneous irritation at the level of the stratum corneum (SC). Objective: There is a need for developing more sensitive approaches in this field. Methods: We assessed a recently introduced innovative tool (SkinChip^®) based on capacitive pixel-sensing technology in its potential to detect early discrete manifestations of skin irritation. The sensor generates a detailed non-optical picture corresponding to a capacitance map of the skin surface reaching 50 µm pixel resolution. Some topographical details can be easily disclosed and the SC hydration as well. Two surfactant solutions were tested on volunteers. These solutions were applied under test patches for 2 days on the volar forearms. Clinical and SkinChip assessments were performed 3 h after removing the patch. Results: The generated images allowed a precise observation of skin irritation which appeared as a two-step process. Early changes consisted of darker pixels corresponding to overhydrated swollen corneocytes at the irritated sites. Two days later, the same area appeared as white pixels, indicating the loss of corneocyte hydration. Conclusion: The SkinChip device appears to be a very sensitive tool for detecting the early steps of surfactant-induced skin irritation affecting the SC.

Incontinence Induces Stratum Corneum Vulnerability and Impairs the Skin Barrier Function in the Perianal Region

“…That is, glossy skin, higher levels of skin pH and a high ceramide volume can thus be considered to indicate an impaired skin barrier function. In addition, Uhoda et al [32] revealed that surfactant-induced skin hydration caused skin irritation and swelling as well as overhydration of corneocytes using capacitive pixel-sensing technology. This fact indicates that the glossy skin observed in the present study might also be related to the overhydration of corneocytes, which could thus make the skin surface flat, even though there was no significant difference in skin hydration between the glossy and normal skin in the incontinence group.…”

Dynamics of Skin Barrier Repair following Topical Applications of Miconazole Nitrate

“…The assessment of TEWL by evaporimetry, by the passive sustainable hydration test or by skin capacitance mapping has been shown to be a suitable tool to quantify any impairment of the barrier function [32][33][34] . Skin capacitance imaging is also a promising method in this fi eld [35][36][37] . When the SC barrier function is damaged by tape stripping or treatment with an organic solvent or detergent [24,32,38] , a series of homeostatic processes in barrier function are immediately accelerated, and the barrier recovers to its original level [13][14][15] .…”

Cost of Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis in Germany: A Multicenter Cost-of-Illness Study

“…Psoriasis is a skin disease which has substantial socioeconomic bearing for several reasons: (1) it is a highly prevalent disease, affecting about 2–3% of adults in Western populations [1,2,3,4,5,6]; (2) it is a chronic disease which is associated with permanent or frequently recurring, highly visible and symptomatic skin lesions [7, 8]; (3) it leads to significant burden of disease and a reduction in quality of life (QoL) in patients from all countries [9,10,11,12]; (4) many patients with psoriasis are of working age, this results in work day loss, and therefore increased indirect costs (productivity losses). …”