Devices and methods for profiling microbiota of skin
First Claim
1. A microbe profiling device comprising:
- a device head including an epidermis-engaging component and at least one access opening, the epidermis-engaging component configured to dislodge at least one type of microbe from a skin surface of an individual; and
a hand-held housing, at least a portion of the hand-held housing defining an opening aligned with the at least one access opening of the device head,the hand-held housing includingat least one motivatable component;
a substrate disposed in relation to the at least one motivatable component and configured to be in operable communication with the opening defined by the hand-held housing, a surface of the substrate including a microbe-capture region, the microbe-capture region positioned to capture the at least one type of microbe dislodged by the epidermis-engaging component of the device head;
a location-capture component including circuitry to determine a location of one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual as the epidermis-engaging component of the device head contacts said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual;
a reservoir including a plurality of at least one type of signal-generating element, the at least one type of signal-generating element configured to associate with the at least one type of microbe;
at least one sensor component including circuitry to detect one or more signals emitted or reflected from the at least one type of signal-generating element associated with the at least one type of microbe captured on the microbe-capture region of the substrate from said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual and to transform the detected one or more signals into a sensor output; and
a computing component including a microprocessor, the computing component includingcircuitry configured to receive information associated with the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual from the location-capture component;
circuitry configured to receive the sensor output from the at least one sensor component, the sensor output including information regarding the detected one or more signals;
circuitry configured to associate the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual with the detected one or more signals; and
circuitry configured to generate an output including information regarding an association between the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual and the detected one or more signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Devices and methods for profiling microbiota of skin are described which include a microbe profiling device including a device head and a hand-held housing, the device head including an epidermis-engaging component and an access window and configured to dislodge microbes from a skin surface, and the hand-held housing defining an opening aligned with the access window, the hand-held housing including a motor operably coupled to a motivatable component, a substrate disposed in relation to the motivatable component and including a microbe-capture region, a location-capture component to detect a location of one or more regions of the skin surface as the epidermis-engaging component contacts said one or more regions, at least one sensor component to detect one or more signals emitted or reflected from the microbe-capture region, and a computing component including circuitry to associate the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface and the detected one or more signals.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A microbe profiling device comprising:
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a device head including an epidermis-engaging component and at least one access opening, the epidermis-engaging component configured to dislodge at least one type of microbe from a skin surface of an individual; and a hand-held housing, at least a portion of the hand-held housing defining an opening aligned with the at least one access opening of the device head, the hand-held housing including at least one motivatable component; a substrate disposed in relation to the at least one motivatable component and configured to be in operable communication with the opening defined by the hand-held housing, a surface of the substrate including a microbe-capture region, the microbe-capture region positioned to capture the at least one type of microbe dislodged by the epidermis-engaging component of the device head; a location-capture component including circuitry to determine a location of one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual as the epidermis-engaging component of the device head contacts said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual; a reservoir including a plurality of at least one type of signal-generating element, the at least one type of signal-generating element configured to associate with the at least one type of microbe; at least one sensor component including circuitry to detect one or more signals emitted or reflected from the at least one type of signal-generating element associated with the at least one type of microbe captured on the microbe-capture region of the substrate from said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual and to transform the detected one or more signals into a sensor output; and a computing component including a microprocessor, the computing component including circuitry configured to receive information associated with the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual from the location-capture component; circuitry configured to receive the sensor output from the at least one sensor component, the sensor output including information regarding the detected one or more signals; circuitry configured to associate the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual with the detected one or more signals; and circuitry configured to generate an output including information regarding an association between the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual and the detected one or more signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of profiling microbiota of a skin surface, comprising:
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releasing at least one type of signal-generating element on to the skin surface of an individual, the at least one type of signal-generating element configured to associate with at least one type of microbe on the skin surface of the individual; dislodging the at least one type of microbe from one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual with an epidermis-engaging component of a hand-held microbe profiling device, the hand-held microbe profiling device including a device head including the epidermis-engaging component and at least one access opening; and a hand-held housing, at least a portion of the hand-held housing defining an opening aligned with the at least one access opening of the device head, the hand-held housing including at least one motivatable component; a substrate disposed in relation to the at least one motivatable component and positioned in operable communication with the opening defined by the hand-held housing, a surface of the substrate including a microbe-capture region; a location-capture component including circuitry to determine a location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual; at least one sensor component; and a computing component including a microprocessor, the computing component including circuitry; determining a location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual with the location-capture component of the hand-held microbe profiling device as the epidermis-engaging component of the device head contacts said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual and generating a location output, the location output including information associated with the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual; capturing the dislodged at least one type of microbe through the at least one access opening of the device head and the aligned opening defined by the hand-held housing and onto a portion of the microbe-capture region of the substrate; analyzing the microbe-capture region on the substrate with the at least one sensor component to detect one or more signals emitted or reflected from the at least one type of signal-generating element associated with the at least one type of microbe captured on the microbe-capture region from the skin surface of the individual and transforming the detected one or more signals into a sensor output; receiving the location output with the computing component and generating a digital alignment of the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual with the one or more signals emitted or reflected from the at least one type of signal-generating element associated with the at least one type of microbe captured on the microbe-capture region from said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual; and generating a microbe profile from the digital alignment with the computing component, the microbe profile including a spatial distribution and identity of the at least one type of microbe on the skin surface of the individual. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. A method of profiling microbiota of a skin surface, comprising:
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dislodging at least one type of microbe from one or more regions of the skin surface of an individual with an epidermis-engaging component of a hand-held microbe profiling device, the hand-held microbe profiling device including a device head including the epidermis-engaging component and at least one access opening; and a hand-held housing, at least a portion of the hand-held housing defining an opening aligned with the at least one access opening of the device head, the hand-held housing including at least one motivatable component; a reservoir including a plurality of at least one type of signal-generating element, the at least one type of signal-generating element configured to associate with the at least one type of microbe; a substrate disposed in relation to the at least one motivatable component and positioned in operable communication with the opening defined by the hand-held housing, a surface of the substrate including a microbe-capture region; a location-capture component including circuitry to determine a location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual; at least one sensor component; and a computing component including a microprocessor, the computing component including circuitry; determining a location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual with the location-capture component of the hand-held microbe profiling device as the epidermis-engaging component of the device head contacts said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual and generating a location output, the location output including information associated with the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual; capturing the dislodged at least one type of microbe through the at least one access opening of the device head and the aligned opening defined by the hand-held housing and onto a portion of the microbe-capture region of the substrate; releasing the at least one type of signal-generating element from the reservoir and onto the substrate including the microbe-capture region and the at least one type of microbe captured thereto; analyzing the microbe-capture region on the substrate with the at least one sensor component to detect one or more signals emitted or reflected from the at least one type of signal-generating element associated with the at least one type of microbe captured on the microbe-capture region from the skin surface of the individual and transforming the detected one or more signals into a sensor output; receiving the location output with the computing component and generating a digital alignment of the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual with the one or more signals emitted or reflected from the at least one type of signal-generating element associated with the at least one type of microbe captured on the microbe-capture region from said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual; and generating a microbe profile from the digital alignment with the computing component, the microbe profile including a spatial distribution and identity of the at least one type of microbe on the skin surface of the individual. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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Specification