Bio-Impedance Non-Contact Radiofrequency Sensor for the Characterization of Burn Depth in Organic Tissues

Abstract

flat circular transmission-line based 300 MHz resonator is implemented for the noncontactassessment of burn depths in biological tissue. Used as a transmit-and-receive sensor, it isplaced here at a 2 mm distance from organic material test samples (pork fillet samples) which havebeen previously heated on one face in various heating conditions involving various temperatures,durations and procedures. Data extracted from the sensor by means of a distant monitoring coilwere found to clearly correlate with the depth of burn observed on the tissue samples (up to 40%sensor output changes for a 7 mm burn depth) and with the heating conditions (around 5% sensoroutput changes for 5.5 mm burn depth obtained at 75 °C or 150 °C). These results open the way tothe development of easy to implement burn assessment and monitoring techniques, which could beintegrated in wearable medical dressing-like monitoring devices.

Keywords

• RF sensor
• non-contact sensing
• dielectric characterization
• burn depth evaluation
• organic tissue
• medical applications