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Revolutionizing Cosmetics: OCT Imaging Unlocks Faster, Simpler, and Data-Driven Product Development by Vivosight

In the world of cosmetics and skincare, the race to create innovative products that promote skin health and combat aging is more competitive than ever. To accelerate and enhance product development and commercialization, the industry is embracing a ground–breaking tool: Quantitative Skin Imaging.

Traditionally, a significant chunk of product development time is spent on testing, verifying claims, and obtaining regulatory approvals. The adoption of cutting–edge technology and techniques in these areas can save both time and money for developers and the Contract Research Organizations (CROs) that support them.

A key focus in dermatology and cosmetics today is the quest to slow down the aging process, often through the use of collagen supplements. However, accurately measuring dermal collagen levels in the living skin (in–vivo) has been a challenging endeavour, with many programs relying on subjective, qualitative methods to assess formula effectiveness and substantiate claims.

Enter Optical Coherence Tomography, or OCT imaging, a game–changing innovation that offers cosmetics and skin health companies a straighforward and repeatable method for quantitative skin imaging. Think of OCT imaging as the optical counterpart to ultrasound. It employs an eye–safe laser to scan and create a high– resolution 3D image beneath the skin’s surface. With a remarkable resolution of less than 10 micrometers and a penetration depth of over 1 millimeter, it reveals the hidden microstructure within the dermis, providing a comprehensive view below the surface.

Revealing skin 3D microstructure

At the forefront of OCT imaging systems for dermatology applications is Michelson Diagnostics, with their VivoSight Dx system, which includes a comprehensive suite of quantitative analysis tools to transform skin images into valuable data. What’s even more remarkable is that OCT imaging is completely non–invasive, and it can capture full 3D scans in just 15 seconds.

OCT imaging is fast and non-invasive

But why is this relevant for quantifying collagen? Pioneering work by Pellacani et al. 1 showed how OCT images can be processed to extract measurements of skin parameters that are reliable indicators of skin quality. For example ‘Dermal Brightness’ which measures the magnitude of the OCT signal returned from the dermis, was found to correlate with changes in collagen density.

This means that the VivoSight Dx system can analyze Dermal Brightness to track changes in collagen levels. Since scanning is quick and easy, ongoing monitoring of collagen density changes becomes readily accessible.

The VivoTools quantitative analysis suite goes even further by automating measurements of Skin Surface Roughness, Epidermal Thickness, and quantifying changes in blood vessel diameter and density at various depths. This simplicity in obtaining a wide range of quantitative skin measurements has the potential to simplify testing programs, reducing the time required to complete them. Moreover, regulatory bodies increasingly prefer quantitative data over qualitative measures to validate claims.

Jon Holmes, co–founder and CEO of Michelson Diagnostics, is enthusiastic about the transformative impact of OCT imaging on cosmetics development teams. He sums it up in three words: “Speed, simplicity and data, data, data. OCT skin imaging represents a significant leap forward in how development teams can consistently measure skin parameters. The industry is taking notice, with four of the Top–10 Cosmetics/Skin Health corporations already adopting the VivoSight Dx OCT imaging for their programs.”

Jon Holmes, Michelson Diagnostics

If you’re eager to explore the benefits of OCT imaging for your development and commercialization efforts, schedule your online product demonstration of the VivoSight Dx system and the VivoTools automated quantification suite. Don’t miss the chance to revolutionize your cosmetics and skincare product development.