Portable device creates 3D images of skin in 10 minutes

A team from NTU Singapore has developed a portable device that produces high-resolution 3D images of human skin within 10 minutes.

The portable skin mapping (imaging) device could be used to assess the severity of skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis.

3D skin mapping could be useful to clinicians, as most equipment used to assess skin conditions only provide 2D images of the skin surface. As the device also maps out the depth of the ridges and grooves of the skin at up to 2mm, it could also help with monitoring wound healing.

The made-in-NTU prototype is developed at a fraction of the cost of devices with comparable technologies, which may cost thousands of dollars and weigh up to 30 kilogrammes.