Ear swelling test by using laser speckle imaging with a long exposure time.

Laser speckle imaging with long exposure time has been applied noninvasively to visualize the immediate reaction of cutaneous vessels in mice in response to a known primary irritant and potential allergen—methyl salicylate. The compound has been used topically on the surface of the pinna and the reaction of the vascular network was examined. We demonstrate that irritant-induced acute vascular reaction can be effectively and accurately detected by laser speckle imaging technique. The current approach holds a great promise for application in routine screening of the cutaneous vascular response induced by contact agents, screenings of mouse ear swelling test, and testing the allergenic potential of new synthetic materials and healthcare pharmaceutical products.