System and method for medical monitoring and treatment through cosmetic monitoring and treatment

• US 20070049832A1
• Filed: 08/14/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TCMS Transparent Beauty, LLC
• Original Assignee: TCMS Transparent Beauty, LLC
• Inventors: Iglehart, David, Edgar, Albert, Yeager, Rick
• Granted Patent: US 9,247,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2044/007 Devices for determining the condition of hair or skin or for selecting the appropriate cosmetic or hair treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 40/30 Masks for marking lips or eyelashes
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 44/005 for selecting or displaying personal cosmetic colours or hairstyle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0064 Body surface scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/442 Evaluating skin mechanical properties, e.g. elasticity, hardness, texture, wrinkle assessment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/444 Evaluating skin marks, e.g. mole, nevi, tumour, scar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6888 Cabins
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/00 Devices for applying media, e.g. remedies, on the human body devices for handling toiletry or cosmetic substances A45D; absorbent pads, e.g. swabs, A61F13/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/25 specially adapted for the application of sunscreen, tanning or self-tanning lotions
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4073 Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/60 relating to illumination properties, e.g. using a reflectance or lighting model
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/168 Feature extraction; Face representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/171 Local features and components; Facial parts eye characteristics G06V40/18; Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/628 Memory colours, e.g. skin or sky

Abstract

A system and method that scans areas of a human body to identify unattractive characteristics and make cosmetic enhancements is modified for medical monitoring and optionally for treatment. A 3-D model of the exterior surface of the human body is created, and the scanned data is analyzed by characteristics of reflectance and surface topology to identify unhealthy characteristics. Because people will use a cosmetics system widely and frequently, base lines of patients'"'"' conditions can be created through frequent monitoring over a long time period, so that potentially dangerous changes from the base line can identified quickly and reported on. When appropriate, precise applications of medications to treat affected areas may be made automatically. Controlled and precisely directed dosages of medications may be applied to reduce the risk of undesirable side effects. Medicines may also be applied over a large area of skin and during a long period of time to achieve desired treatments.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a region human skin, the method comprising

allocating the region of skin into a plurality of frexels;

measuring the reflective properties of each of the plurality of frexels;

determining, from the reflective properties of each of the plurality of frexels, the morphology of the skin; and

analyzing the skin according to the reflective properties and the morphology.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

using a cosmetic enhancement system to perform the steps of

allocating the region of skin into a plurality of frexels,

measuring the reflective properties of each of the plurality of frexels, and

determining, from the reflective properties of each of the plurality of frexels, the morphology of the skin.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising

applying preventative or curative medical compounds to specific frexels to treat medical problems.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the skin according to the reflective properties and the morphology further comprises

using feature recognition software by

defining a base line of medically relevant attributes from the scanned data, and identifying attributes that warrant preventative or curative medical attention or treatment;

and

reporting about attributes that warrant preventative or curative medical attention or treatment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein using feature recognition software to identify attributes that warrant preventative or curative medical attention or treatment comprises analyzing the base line;

identifying changes to the base line that appear in subsequent scanned data; and

analyzing the changes to identify medical problems.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring the reflective properties of each of the plurality of frexels further comprises

providing a plurality of light sources which may be controlled to be on or off;

creating a plurality of lighting conditions, each lighting condition comprising selecting an on or off state for each of the light sources;

scanning the region of skin to obtain image data while repeating the plurality of lighting conditions; and

determining from the image data, the reflectance of the plurality of frexels.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising

determining the position of a frexel being scanned.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising

determining from the image data, the tilt of the frexel with respect to a reference plane.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising

determining the local skin morphology from the tilt of the frexel and the tilt of other frexels in proximity to the frexel.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the skin according to the reflective properties and the morphology further comprises

building a first map of the region of skin, such that the map comprises the location and reflectance of each of the plurality of frexels at a first time.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising

building a second map of the region of skin, such that the map comprises the location and reflectance of each of the plurality of frexels at a second time;

and

comparing the first map and the second map.

12. A apparatus for monitoring a region human skin, the apparatus comprising

a housing;

at least one light source, such that the light source may be turned on and off;

at least one image receiving element; and

a computation device, such that the computation device may analyze data from the image receiving element in order to determine the reflectance and tilt of specific frexels.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising

a first preventative or curative medical compound reservoir;

and

a first preventative or curative medical compound application device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the first preventative or curative medical compound application device further comprises a drop control device.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the first preventative or curative medical compound application device further comprises

at least one inkjet print head.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein

the light source is a plurality of light emitting diodes, such a first light emitting diode has a first wavelength of light emission, and a second light emitting diode has a second wavelength of light emission.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 comprising

a second reflectance modifying agent reservoir.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the housing is a booth.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein

the housing is a handheld device, such that the device may be manually moved over a region of skin.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein

the housing is a handheld device, such that the device may be manually placed over a skin mark.

21. A method to generate a map of a region of human skin, the method comprising

obtaining reflectance data for each of a plurality of frexels in the region of skin by sensing the reflectance of the frexels in the absence of a sensing light source, turning on, one at a time, a plurality of sensing light sources, such that each light source is at a known position relative to the scanner, and sensing the reflectance of the frexels;

and

analyzing the reflectance data to determine reflectance and orientation of the frexels; and

generating a map of the region of skin, such that the map indicates reflectance and skin profile.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising

generating a first map at a first time;

generating a second map at a second time; and

comparing the second map to the first map in order to detect changes in skin reflectance or profile.