Minimally invasive electrical impedance spectroscopy of skin exemplified by skin cancer assessments

Clinically relevant information in electrical skin impedance spectra is diluted by the electrical properties of stratum corneum. Eliminating stratum corneum would improve the signals from the tissue. The aim of this paper is to describe and investigate a new type of skin impedance probe with a dedicated surface structure that penetrates through stratum corneum but not into dermis, called the minimally invasive probe. Skin impedance measurements with the minimally invasive probe showed that the effect of the stratum corneum was substantially reduced compared to regular noninvasive skin impedance. The minimally invasive impedance technique is believed to facilitate skin cancer diagnosis.