Review of laser speckle contrast techniques for visualizing tissue perfusion

Abstract

When a diffuse object is illuminated with coherent laser light, the backscattered light will form an interference pattern on the detector. This pattern of bright and dark areas is called a speckle pattern. When there is movement in the object, the speckle pattern will change over time. Laser speckle contrast techniques use this change in speckle pattern to visualize tissue perfusion. We present and review the contribution of laser speckle contrast techniques to the field of perfusion visualization and discuss the development of the techniques.

Assessment of Microcirculation and the Prediction of Healing in Diabetic Foot Ulcers

“…In this technique a laser illuminates an area of tissue which produces a backscattered light. This light forms a pattern of light and dark areas called a speckle pattern (Draijer, et al 2009 Type 2 diabetes is estimated to affect 120 million people worldwide-and according to projections from the World Health Organization this number is expected to double over the next two decades. Novel, cost-effective strategies are needed to reverse the global epidemic of obesity which is driving the increased occurrence of type 2 diabetes and to less the burden of diabetic vascular complications.…”

Laser speckle contrast imaging of the skin: interest in processing the perfusion data

“…Our goal herein is to report on the potentialities of studies dedicated to the processing of LSCI perfusion data. Linear and nonlinear analyses could be of interest to improve the understanding of LSCI images.Keywords Laser speckle contrast imaging Á Microcirculation Á Signal processing Á Image processing Á Laser Doppler flowmetryIn clinical research, the real-time monitoring of skin microvascular blood perfusion can be performed, among others, with laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) and laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) (see, e.g., [7, 13, 18, 26,43,46]). LDF has been proposed in the 1970's [45] to monitor the microvascular blood perfusion in a small volume of tissue (approximately 1 mm 3 in skin when a 780 nm laser wavelength is used).…”

“…LSCI is a more recent technique developed in the mid 1990s. It relies on the speckle phenomenon generated by the interactions between coherent monochromatic radiations and a scattering medium [7]. The first speckle imagers were commercialized very recently and from this time LSCI has been the subject of an increasing number of papers (see, e.g., [7,30,31,40]).…”

“…It relies on the speckle phenomenon generated by the interactions between coherent monochromatic radiations and a scattering medium [7]. The first speckle imagers were commercialized very recently and from this time LSCI has been the subject of an increasing number of papers (see, e.g., [7,30,31,40]). LSCI and LDF have found widespread skin vascular application among which we can cite the reperfusion monitoring of skin flaps, the quantification of peripheral vascular diseases, the perfusion monitoring of burns, wounds and foot ulcers.…”

“…In clinical research, the real-time monitoring of skin microvascular blood perfusion can be performed, among others, with laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) and laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) (see, e.g., [7,13,18,26,43,46]). LDF has been proposed in the 1970's [45] to monitor the microvascular blood perfusion in a small volume of tissue (approximately 1 mm 3 in skin when a 780 nm laser wavelength is used).…”