Stiffness and texture perception for teledermatology.

Abstract

The goal of the teledermatology project currently being carried out at Stanford University is to deliver tactile images of the human skin to a dermatologist at a remote location, in real time. In order to make a diagnosis, dermatologists typically need to obtain data regarding the skin texture and the mechanical properties of any lesions on a patient's skin. For example, pre-cancerous or weather-damaged skin typically feels rougher than normal skin and the profile and stiffness of the underlying tissue may shed light on the nature of a skin disease.