Diagnosis of burn depth in tissues using diffusing temporal correlation

Summary form only given. The authors have recently shown that the correlation diffusion equation (CDE) accurately predicts the temporal correlation function for turbid systems with spatially varying dynamics and that the dynamical properties of such systems can be imaged using standard reconstruction algorithms. In this contribution, the authors investigate the sensitivity of temporal field correlation measurements to burn thickness and the applicability of the CDE for absolute determinations of burn thickness. Using burn phantoms, the authors demonstrate sensitivity to changes in the near-surface burn thickness of less than 100 /spl mu/m. Furthermore, the authors find that simple solutions of the CDE agree well with the measurements, and should provide quantitative information about the thickness and optical properties of burns.