{"ID":2839602,"CreatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","UpdatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","DeletedAt":null,"paper_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.15509","arxiv_id":"2511.15509","title":"Multimodal Optical Imaging Platform for Quantitative Burn Assessment","abstract":"Accurate assessment of burn severity at injury onset remains a major clinical challenge due to the lack of objective methods for detecting subsurface tissue damage. This limitation is critical in battlefield and mass-casualty settings, where rapid and reliable evaluation of burn depth is essential for triage and surgical decision-making. We present a multimodal optical imaging framework that establishes the foundation for a compact, low-size, weight, and power (low-SWaP) field-deployable device for quantitative burn assessment. The system integrates broadband hyperspectral imaging (VSWIR, 400 -- 2100 nm) with laser speckle contrast imaging to jointly evaluate biochemical composition and microvascular perfusion. Using short-wave infrared (SWIR, \u003e1000 nm) wavelengths, we developed and validated novel deep-tissue parameters linked to water, lipid, and collagen absorption features that enhance burn-tissue separability and burn severity classification. We implemented and validated unsupervised learning methods for spectral feature extraction, band down-selection, and clustering against histology, establishing a foundation for a rugged, data-driven device for early quantitative burn evaluation in austere environments.","short_abstract":"Accurate assessment of burn severity at injury onset remains a major clinical challenge due to the lack of objective methods for detecting subsurface tissue damage. This limitation is critical in battlefield and mass-casualty settings, where rapid and reliable evaluation of burn depth is essential for triage and surgic...","url_abs":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.15509","url_pdf":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2511.15509v2","authors":"[\"Nathaniel Hanson\",\"Mateusz Wolak\",\"Jonathan Richardson\",\"Patrick Walker\",\"David M. Burmeister\",\"Chakameh Jafari\"]","published":"2025-11-19T15:03:41Z","proceeding":"eess.IV","tasks":"[\"eess.IV\"]","methods":"[]","has_code":false}