Burn imaging with a whole field laser Doppler perfusion imager based on a CMOS imaging array

Laser Doppler perfusion imaging (LDPI) has been proven to be a useful tool in predicting the burn wound outcome in an early stage. A major disadvantage of scanning beam LDPI devices is their slow scanning speed, leading to patient discomfort and imaging artifacts. We have developed the Twente Optical Perfusion Camera (TOPCam), a whole field laser Doppler perfusion imager based on a CMOS imaging array, which is two orders of magnitude faster than scanning beam LDPI systems. In this paper the first clinical results of the TOPCam in the setting of a burn centre are presented. The paper shows perfusion images of burns of various degrees. While our system encounters problems caused by blisters, tissue necrosis, surface reflection and curvature in a manner similar to scanning beam imagers, it poses a clear advantage in terms of procedure time. Image quality in terms of dynamic range and resolution appears to be sufficient for burn diagnosis. Hence, we made important steps in overcoming the limitations of LDPI in burn diagnosis imposed by the measurement speed.