SKIN ANALYSIS METHODS

• US 20100185064A1
• Filed: 01/20/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: mySkin Inc.
• Original Assignee: mySkin Inc.
• Inventors: Koruga, Djuro, Bandic, Jadran, Marinkovich, Sava, Mehendale, Rahul
• Application Number:
  US12/690,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185064A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/306
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• 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 5/445 Evaluating skin irritation or skin trauma, e.g. rash, eczema, wound, bed sore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4547 Evaluating teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to a skin care device comprising an electromagnetic radiation source capable of directing incident electromagnetic radiation to a location on the skin of a user, a radiation detector for measuring various parameters of radiation re-emitted from the location and a skin condition analysis module coupled to the detector, the analysis module capable of generating a skin condition assessment in real-time, based partly on at least one of RGB analysis and diffused reflectance analysis of the radiation parameters. In accordance with the described embodiments of the present technique, the device provides a mirror or a reflecting surface for capturing an image of desired body part and gets product recommendations. The recommended products are brought up on to the screen of the mirror to facilitate the consumer to choose there from. The device may be further connected to a computer and a database to get desired results for the consumer.

Claims

1. A skin care device, the device comprising:

an electromagnetic radiation source capable of directing incident electromagnetic radiation to a location on the skin of a user;

a radiation detector for measuring various parameters of radiation re-emitted from the location; and

a skin condition analysis module coupled to the detector, the analysis module capable of generating a skin condition assessment in real-time, based partly on at least one of RGB analysis and diffused reflectance analysis of the radiation parameters.

2. A system for determining a predisposition of sebaceous pores and skin structures around a sebaceous gland, a level of acne, and a predisposition of a portion of skin to improve and worsen the acne, the system comprising:

an illuminator for illuminating a skin element;

an image capturing device coupled to the illuminator for imaging the portion of the surface of the skin;

an image processor coupled to the image capturing device for;

processing the imaged portion of the surface of the skin; and

isolating sebaceous parameters pertaining to acne formation; and

an optical assessment unit coupled to both the image capturing device and the image processor, the optical assessment unit further comprising;

a color Red Green Blue (RGB) analysis device including a standard RGB (sRGB) color unit;

white light polarization device coupled to the RGB analysis device for comparing extreme positions of at least two unique convolutions in white light and in polarized light responsive to a convoluting data of a first captured image and a second captured image; and

a digital color analysis device coupled to both the white light polarization device and the RGB analysis device for generating a combination of color systems and for determining a health status of the imaged portion of the surface on the skin.

3. A machine readable medium, the machine readable medium having program instructions stored thereon executable by a processing unit, the program instructions comprising the steps of:

capturing an image of a material illuminated with incident non-angled white light and an image of a material illuminated with incident angled white light;

generating a normalized red and a normalized blue color channel histogram for at least one of a reflected and emitted light in each image;

correlating the normalized red and normalized blue color channel histograms to a wavelength scale to obtain red and blue color channel spectral plots; and

combining the red and blue color channel spectral plots by subtracting the spectral plot for angled light from the spectral plot for non-angled light for each color channel to generate red and blue normalized, composite color channel spectral plots of a specific wavelength scale and subtracting the normalized, composite blue channel spectral plot from the normalized, composite red channel spectral plot to generate a spectral signature for the material.

4. A system comprising:

an antenna subsystem for transmitting electromagnetic signals and capturing images of materials illuminated with polarized and unpolarized electromagnetic signals;

a first signal processing subsystem for processing the captured images and generating unique identifiers for the materials;

a second signal processing subsystem for processing the electromagnetic signals transmitted from the antenna subsystem; and

a combiner subsystem for combining the processed electromagnetic signals and images to generate enhanced signals.

5. A system comprising:

an illumination subsystem for directing polarized and unpolarized electromagnetic signals to physiological organs;

a sensor module for capturing the polarized and unpolarized electromagnetic signals reflected from the physiological organs; and

a physiological parameter management module adapted for at least one of real and point time assessment of hydration level of the physiological organs, wherein the physiological parameter management module assesses one or more fundamental and derived physiological parameters associated with the physiological organs based partly on at least one of RGB analysis and diffused reflectance analysis of the captured reflected polarized and unpolarized electromagnetic signals thereby resulting in the generation of a combined hydration impact score.

6. A system for skin phototype determination using photograph analysis, comprising:

an image capturing device for capturing digital images of a skin;

an analyzer coupled to the image capturing device for performing a pixel by pixel analysis of a digital image of a part of a person'"'"'s skin;

a convertor to convert from a device-dependent RGB to device-independent sRGB color system;

a sampling device coupled to the image capturing device for generating a standard Red Green Blue (RGB) color samples for the captured digital image of the skin;

an approximating device coupled to the sampling device for approximating the color distribution parameters of the generated sRGB color samples using the estimates of expected value and standard deviation for the captured digital image of the skin; and

a decision tree unit coupled to the approximating device for generating a phototype of the skin using standard Red and Blue components of the approximated colors.

7. An automated location tracking and data storage system for an imaging device, comprising:

an image capturing unit;

a positioning unit coupled to the image capturing unit for positioning the imaging device on a subject area; and

an image processing unit for enabling a frame by frame comparison of the captured image and for enabling the imaging device to capture three or more distinct points to triangulate a location of the imaging device to identify a direction of movement of the imaging device.

8. A method to track and store movement parameters of an imaging device moving over a subject area, comprising the steps of:

capturing an image of the subject area at a plurality of locations;

identifying a direction of movement of the imaging device using an image processing technique for at least one captured frame;

recognizing the direction of movement of the imaging device by comparing each frame with at least three distinct features captured to thereby triangulate a location of the imaging device; and

comparing data of the captured image with a predetermined image database to store the image of the subject area and to store placement parameters of the imaging device.

9. A method for tracking the effectiveness of a skin care product or regimen, comprising:

obtaining a baseline skin state assessment;

recommending a monitoring interval based on at least one of the skin care goal, product, and regimen;

obtaining a second skin state assessment;

comparing the second assessment to the baseline assessment to determine progress towards a skin care goal; and

optionally, optimizing the regimen or product in order to improve a skin state.

10. A method of determining a skin state, comprising:

illuminating skin with an incident light source;

detecting the degree of polarization of light reflected from the skin; and

determining a skin state based on an aspect of the polarization of the reflected light.

11. A method of determining a moisture level in the skin, comprising:

emitting incident light towards a skin structure;

detecting a degree of polarization and diffusion of the light reflected by the skin structure; and

determining a moisture level based on the amount of polarized and diffused reflected light.

12. A method of determining elasticity of the skin, comprising:

emitting incident light towards a skin structure;

detecting an aspect of polarization of the light reflected by the skin structure;

correlating the aspect of polarization with a concentration of elastin; and

determining an elasticity level based on the concentration of elastin.

13. A method for obtaining dermal biophysical properties, comprising:

performing a spectral analysis of image data acquired from the degree of polarization of reflections of incident light from skin structures, wherein the property is at least one of a structure, form, concentration, number, size, state, and stage of at least one of a;

melanocyte, melanin, hemoglobin, porphyrin, keratin, carotene, collagen, elastin, sebum, sebaceous gland activity, pore (sweat and sebaceous), moisture level, elasticity, luminosity, firmness, fine line, wrinkle count and stage, pore size, percent of open pores, skin elasticity, skin tension line, spot, skin color, psoriasis, allergies, red area, general skin disorder or infection, tumor, sunburn, rash, scratch, pimple, acne, insect bite, itch, bleeding, injury, inflammation, photodamage, pigmentation, tone, tattoo, percent burn/burn classification, mole (naevi, nevus), aspect of a skin lesion (structure, color, dimensions/asymmetry), melanoma, dermally observed disorder, cutaneous lesion, cellulite, boil, blistering disease, congenital dermal syndrome, (sub)cutaneous mycoses, melasma, vascular condition, rosacea, spider vein, texture, skin ulcer, wound healing, postoperative tracking, melanocytic lesion, nonmelanocytic lesion, basal cell carcinoma, seborrhoic keratosis, sebum (oiliness), and nail and/or hair related concern.

14. A method for determining a skin state, comprising:

obtaining the answers to a series of subjective questions regarding the skin;

obtaining an objective skin analysis using a dermal imaging device; and

combining the subjective and objective results algorithmically to obtain a skin state.

15. A personalized skin condition analysis system, comprising:

an imaging device, comprising;

an illumination source comprising an incident light source to direct light upon skin; and

a detector for detecting the degree of polarization of light reflected from the skin; and

a user interface for controlling the device.

16. A noninvasive imaging device, comprising:

an illumination source comprising an incident light source to direct light upon skin; and

a detector for detecting the degree of polarization of light reflected from the skin.