Multispectral optical imaging system for inclusive, label free dermatological skin diagnostics

Conventional dermatological imaging tools often demonstrate reduced diagnostic performance for underrepresented skin tones due to fixed illumination conditions and limited calibration datasets. These limitations can contribute to inconsistent image contrast and disparities in clinical assessment. This work presents a compact, label-free multispectral optical imaging system that employs an adaptive dual-scan imaging approach to improve contrast consistency across diverse skin phototypes. In the first scan, the system evaluates skin reflectance to characterize melanin-dependent optical response and guide illumination adjustment. A second multispectral scan is then acquired under optimized illumination conditions. The system utilizes visible and near-infrared light emitting diodes operating within the 600 to 1000 nm therapeutic window and integrates optical filtering and cross-polarization to suppress surface glare while enhancing subsurface imaging. Designed for portable and noninvasive clinical use, the system supports inclusive dermatological diagnostics and provides a foundation for future integration with automated image analysis tools.