NCT01545973

Understanding the Physiological Implications of Scanning Kelvin Probe Measurements

Measuring Skin Electrical Potential With the Kelvin Probe: Underlying Physiology

• Status: Suspended
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 24 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of skin thickness, skin moisture, and sweat gland density on Scanning Kelvin Probe measurements.

Detailed description

The Scanning Kelvin Probe measures the electrical potential of material surfaces without actually touching it. Although this technology has been applied to non-living materials (e.g. metal and semiconductors) before, it has not been effectively applied to biological materials, much less to live human skin . This project aims to evaluate the use of Scanning Kelvin Probe to live human skin by investigating the effects of skin thickness, skin moisture, and sweat glands on Kelvin Probe measurements of electrical potential. Testing will be performed on the arms and hands of twenty four healthy individuals under different study conditions.

Conditions

• Healthy Individuals
• Skin Electrical Potential

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Skin Moistening, Skin Denuding	Application of normal saline to skin and Tape stripping of the superficial skin

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-08-01
• Primary completion: 2012-08-01
• Completion: 2012-08-01
• First posted: 2012-03-07
• Last updated: 2012-03-07

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States