MINIATURE DEVICE FOR ANALYZING PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF THE SKIN

• US 20090143653A1
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IntuiSkin SAS
• Original Assignee: IntuiSkin SAS
• Inventors: Laurens, Paul, Ransch, Pascal
• Application Number:
  US11/574,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143653A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/306
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/028 Microscale sensors, e.g. electromechanical sensors [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis

Abstract

A chip card for analyzing physicochemical properties of a cutaneous surface includes at least one body sensor which can deliver a signal representing a measurement of a physicochemical property of the cutaneous surface, and a processing unit used to treat signals delivered by the body sensor and an optional environment sensor and to then store signals in a storage unit on the card. An electrical energy source on the card provides electrical power to the body sensor and the processing unit.

Claims

1. Chip card for analysing physicochemical properties of a cutaneous surface comprising:

at least one body sensor which can deliver a signal representing a measurement of a physicochemical property of a cutaneous surface;

a processing unit used to treat the signal delivered by the body sensor and then to store the signal in a storage unit; and

an electric power source for supplying electric power to the body sensor and the processing unit.

2. Chip card according to claim 1, further comprising at least one environment sensor which can deliver a signal representing a measurement of a parameter of external environment.

3. Chip card according to claim 1, wherein the chip card comprises a microcamera.

4. Chip card according to claim 2, wherein the at least one body sensor and the at least one environment sensor comprise active sensors.

5. Chip card according to claim 1, wherein the electric power source comprises a photovoltaic cell.

6. Chip card according to claim 1, wherein the at least one body sensor is selected from the group consisting of

pH sensors;

cutaneous imprint sensors, suitable for measuring topography of the cutaneous surface to be analyzed;

skin moisture sensors;

skin temperature sensors;

lipids content sensors;

elastic deformation sensors of the cutaneous surface to be analyzed.

7. Chip card according to claim 4, wherein the at least one body sensor and the at least one environment sensor comprise microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).

8. Chip card according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying data prepared by the processing unit and stored in the storage unit during display.

9. Chip card according to claim 8, wherein the display means comprises a liquid crystal display or a light emitting diode display.

10. Chip card according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is of the permanent type for storing data representing measurement and for subsequent transfer of said data to a computerized system.

11. Chip card according to claim 10, further comprising an interface on a surface of the card for transferring the data representing said measurements when said card is inserted into a card reader connected to a computerized system.