Optomechanical Properties of Swine Skin Tissue Treated With a Nontoxic Optical Clearing Agent

Abstract

This study evaluated the optomechanical and structural properties of individual macroscopic layers in swine skin tissues treated with a nontoxic optical clearing agent. The clearing agent was prepared by dissolving 2,2′-thiodiethanol in a phosphate-buffered solution and applied for up to 6 days. Prolonged clearing increased both the total and unscattered transmittance. Peaks associated with deoxygenated hemoglobin, oxygenated hemoglobin, and water showed marked reduction with extended clearing times. Histopathological examination revealed no significant structural alterations. A clearing time of approximately 4–5 days is recommended for optimal imaging, as it minimizes changes in mechanical properties. These findings support the use of optical clearing in deep tissue imaging, particularly when preserving macroscopic mechanical properties is essential, despite the inherent limitation of sample opacity.