Research and development of dielectric detectors for noninvasive sensing of skin diseases

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K19890
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 90:Biomedical engineering and related fields
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University
• Principal Investigator: Nakagawa Kouichi 弘前大学, 医学研究科, 客員研究員 (00244393)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 皆川 智子 弘前大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (20436033) ; 澤村 大輔 弘前大学, 医学研究科, 教授 (60196334)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 皮膚疾患 / 生体計測 / 電子スピン共鳴 / イメージング / 皮膚科学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We worked on improving the X-band (9 GHz) electron spin resonance (ESR) imaging to detect and analyze melanin radicals contained in melanoma, a skin cancer. We also developed a new detector for non-invasive measurement and established a foothold for non-invasive measurement of melanin radicals inherent in the skin diseases.
As a result, we found that pheomelanin (radical) is involved in the malignant melanoma, and that the image intensity increases with the stage of the diseases. Furthermore, it was newly found that in other skin diseases in which melanin is involved, there is a good correlation between the degree of blackness of the skin disease and the ESR intensity. Moreover, this time, the sensitivity of the newly prototyped detector was significantly increased, and it was confirmed from the spectrum obtained by one sweep that there was a pheomelanin radical.

Free Research Field

生物物理化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

X-バンド(9 GHz)電子スピン共鳴(ESR)イメージング装置と試料を載せるタイプの検出器を新たに試作し、皮膚疾患の非侵襲計測において以下の学術上の成果を上げた。
（１）高悪性度のメラノーマにフェオメラニン(ラジカル)の関与があることやイメージングの画像強度は病期と共に強くなることを見出した。（２）他のメラニンが関与する皮膚疾患では、疾患部位の黒さ度とESR強度に良い相関関係があることを見出した。（３）新たに試作した検出器の感度を格段に上げることで、フェオメラニンラジカルがあると分かった。