Measuring the thermal properties of the human skin in-vivo

The skin is the first barrier of our organism and plays therefore a very important role. Like every other organs, different diseases can affect the skin. If fortunately very few of them are lethal, they can have a dramatic psychological impact for those suffering from them. Currently, the diagnostic of many skin diseases remains clinical: the dermatologist visually inspects the skin, eventually using a dermatoscope. Very few apparatus are available for home use and most of them only retrieve the skin hydration, using non-reliable capacitive-based methods. Nonetheless, an affordable, yet science-based device, would drastically improve the diagnostic and follow-up of widely spread diseases like xerosis cutis, psoriasis or atopic dermatitis.The goal of this project is to design, prototype, and experimentally validate an innovative sensor, specifically developed to measure the thermal properties of the human skin. Indeed, thermal properties are good markers of skin health, and correlate with relevant physiological parameters like epidermis thickness or hydration. It is expected that numerous skin disorders will alter the skin thermal properties. Though, for this exploratory study, a small number (< 30) of healthy subjects only will be investigated to validate the potential of the technology to accurately retrieve skin hydration and epidermis thickness.The project will take place at the University of Cincinnati in a joined collaboration between the Novel Devices Lab and the Skin Science and Technology Collaborative. Those research centers are ideal places to perform this ambitious project, as they bring expertise both in medical devices development and skin science. As an additional result, this project if successful will be the opportunity to foster a long-term relationship between the University of Cincinnati and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, where I hold a permanent faculty position and will return once the project completed.