Electromagnetic sensing techniques for monitoring atopic dermatitis - current practices and possible advancements: a review
Electromagnetic sensing techniques for monitoring atopic dermatitis - current practices and possible advancements: a review
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common skin disorders, affecting nearly one-fifth of children and adolescents worldwide, and currently, the only method of monitoring the condition is through an in-person visual examination by a clinician. This method of assessment poses an inherent risk of subjectivity and can be restrictive to patients who do not have access to or cannot visit hospitals. Advances in digital sensing technologies can serve as a foundation for the development of a new generation of e-health devices that provide accurate and empirical evaluation of the condition to patients worldwide. The goal of this review is to study the past, present, and future of AD monitoring. First, current medical practices such as biopsy, tape stripping and blood serum are discussed with their merits and demerits. Then, alternative digital methods of medical evaluation are highlighted with the focus on non-invasive monitoring using biomarkers of AD—TEWL, skin permittivity, elasticity, and pruritus. Finally, possible future technologies are showcased such as radio frequency reflectometry and optical spectroscopy along with a short discussion to provoke research into improving the current techniques and employing the new ones to develop an AD monitoring device, which could eventually facilitate medical diagnosis.
atopic dermatitis, electromagnetic sensing, flexible wearable sensors, interdigitated capacitive sensor, near-infrared range spectroscopy, neural networks, non-invasive monitoring, radio frequency reflectometry, telemedical sensors, transepidermal water loss, Humans, Skin/pathology, Dermatitis, Atopic/diagnosis, Water Loss, Insensible, Pruritus/pathology, Adolescent, Biomarkers, Child
Todorov, Alexandar
fb7e0973-0830-40c5-bccb-63ea61712e1f
Torah, Russel
7147b47b-db01-4124-95dc-90d6a9842688
Ardern-Jones, Michael R.
7ac43c24-94ab-4d19-ba69-afaa546bec90
Beeby, Steve P.
ba565001-2812-4300-89f1-fe5a437ecb0d
12 April 2023
Todorov, Alexandar
fb7e0973-0830-40c5-bccb-63ea61712e1f
Torah, Russel
7147b47b-db01-4124-95dc-90d6a9842688
Ardern-Jones, Michael R.
7ac43c24-94ab-4d19-ba69-afaa546bec90
Beeby, Steve P.
ba565001-2812-4300-89f1-fe5a437ecb0d
Todorov, Alexandar, Torah, Russel, Ardern-Jones, Michael R. and Beeby, Steve P.
(2023)
Electromagnetic sensing techniques for monitoring atopic dermatitis - current practices and possible advancements: a review.
Sensors, 23 (8), [3935].
(doi:10.3390/s23083935).
Abstract
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common skin disorders, affecting nearly one-fifth of children and adolescents worldwide, and currently, the only method of monitoring the condition is through an in-person visual examination by a clinician. This method of assessment poses an inherent risk of subjectivity and can be restrictive to patients who do not have access to or cannot visit hospitals. Advances in digital sensing technologies can serve as a foundation for the development of a new generation of e-health devices that provide accurate and empirical evaluation of the condition to patients worldwide. The goal of this review is to study the past, present, and future of AD monitoring. First, current medical practices such as biopsy, tape stripping and blood serum are discussed with their merits and demerits. Then, alternative digital methods of medical evaluation are highlighted with the focus on non-invasive monitoring using biomarkers of AD—TEWL, skin permittivity, elasticity, and pruritus. Finally, possible future technologies are showcased such as radio frequency reflectometry and optical spectroscopy along with a short discussion to provoke research into improving the current techniques and employing the new ones to develop an AD monitoring device, which could eventually facilitate medical diagnosis.
Text
sensors-23-03935-v2
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 4 April 2023
Published date: 12 April 2023
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
This research was supported by EPSRC grant EP/P010164/1. The work of Steve P Beeby was supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering under the Chairs in Emerging Technologies Scheme.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
Keywords:
atopic dermatitis, electromagnetic sensing, flexible wearable sensors, interdigitated capacitive sensor, near-infrared range spectroscopy, neural networks, non-invasive monitoring, radio frequency reflectometry, telemedical sensors, transepidermal water loss, Humans, Skin/pathology, Dermatitis, Atopic/diagnosis, Water Loss, Insensible, Pruritus/pathology, Adolescent, Biomarkers, Child
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 477049
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/477049
ISSN: 1424-8220
PURE UUID: 7959ea49-cf6c-4c5e-ad98-767ff7f6d28c
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Date deposited: 24 May 2023 16:55
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 03:07
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Author:
Alexandar Todorov
Author:
Russel Torah
Author:
Steve P. Beeby
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