3D Profilomer Combined with Hyperspectral Camera for Simplified Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnostics

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease, which significantly impairs patient’s quality of life and ability to work. It has been proven that early diagnosis is of paramount importance, since early treatment has a higher likelihood for improving the course of the disease. Thus, the onset of the disease should be detected as early as possible. Changes in tissue oxygenation, blood concentration, light scattering and joint shape indicate joint inflammation, which could be detected and quantified using optical techniques. That is why a proposed system combines the hyperspectral imaging system and 3D profilometer. It enables measuring a spectrum of the reflected light from small joints with about 1 nm resolution, and a shape of the surface with a precision of about 0.02 mm × 0.13 mm × 0.02 mm. In this study a RA diagnostics prototype comprising of a hyperspectral imaging system and a 3D scanning system is used to aid the rheumatoid arthritis diagnostics.