Apparatus for Calculating a Parameter of a Skin Surface Area

• US 20160128605A1
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SEB SA
• Original Assignee: SEB SA
• Inventors: Moreno, Marie-Valerie, Mandica, Franck, Paget, Monique, Sarrazin, Michel
• Application Number:
  US14/893,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20160128605A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0036 including treatment, e.g., using an implantable medical device, ablating, ventilating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/443 Evaluating skin constituents, e.g. elastin, melanin, water
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 15/0085 hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2015/0014 cylinder-like, i.e. rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2207/00 Anti-cellulite devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/65 Impedance, e.g. skin conductivity; capacitance, e.g. galvanic skin response [GSR]
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/655 used as a control parameter for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/008 Suction kneading
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0057 Suction suction kneading A61H7/008

Abstract

Provided is a mobile autonomous apparatus (1) for measuring and analysing at least one parameter representing the fat of a skin surface area comprising at least one probe (10) comprising at least two pairs of electrodes intended to come into contact with the skin surface area defining a frrst pair of injecting electrodes (11, 12), and a second pair ofreceiving electrodes (13, 14) for measuring the response to the injection, an energy source (5) for producing, at the frrst pair of injecting electrodes (11, 12), a variable electrical signal with a current of intensity i included in the range [60 μA to 4000 μA] and a frequency included in the range [1 k Hz to 1000 kHz], a data processing and control unit (CPU) for determining the elements relative to the bio-impedance (Z) of said area and said at least one parameter representing the cellulite of the skin surface area.

Claims

1. Autonomous mobile apparatus (1) for measuring and analyzing at least one parameter representing the fat of a skin surface area, comprising:

At least one probe (10) comprising at least two electrode pairs intended to come into contact with the skin surface area defining a first pair of injecting electrodes (11, 12) and a second pair of receiving electrodes (13, 14) for measuring the response to the injection;

A power source (5) for producing in the first pair of injecting electrodes (11, 12), a variable electrical signal with a variable current intensity (i) within the range of 60 μ

A to 4000 μ

A and with a frequency within the range of 1 kHz to 1000 kHz;

A data control processing unit (CPU) for determining the information related to the bio-impedance (Z) of said area, with said at least one parameter representing the fat in the skin surface area.

2. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which said variable electrical signal with current intensity (i) is a sinusoidal alternating signal as a function of time.

3. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which said variable electrical signal with current intensity (i) is a rectangular signal, such as a square signal, as a function of time.

4. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which the parameter is the subcutaneous fat and the data control processing unit (CPU) makes it possible to determine the quantity of subcutaneous fat that is equal or proportional to:

A*((Ret+Rinft)/2)−

B

In which Ret is the resistance extrapolated to a null frequency,

Rinft is the resistance extrapolated to an infinite frequency,

And A and B are constants.

5. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which the parameter is cellulite and the data control processing unit (CPU) makes it possible to determine the thickness of the cellulite being equal or proportional to:

Ln (Rinft/C)/D

In which Rinft is the resistance extrapolated to an infinite frequency, and in which C and D are constants.

6. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which the data control processing unit (CPU) makes it possible to determine a characterization of the parameter representing cellulite and that comprises a natural integer on a scale between 0 and n, representing a stage of progression of the cellulite.

7. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which the data control processing unit (CPU) makes it possible to determine a characterization of the parameter representing cellulite, comprising a length of a hypodermal attachment for a unit length of the skin area, or the hypodermal attachment size for a unit surface area of the skin area.

8. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which the data control processing unit (CPU) makes it possible to determine a characterization of the parameter representing cellulite and being a surface roughness of the skin area.

9. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which the data control processing unit (CPU) makes it possible to determine a characterization of the parameter representing cellulite, which comprises a fat and water content percentage in a unit volume of the skin area.

10. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which the electrodes (11, 12, 13, 14 and 15) protrude to an exterior of an apparatus casing.

11. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which the material of the electrodes (11, 12, 13, 14 and 15) is a metal selected from among the group consisting of stainless steel, indium tin oxide, titanium nitride, gold and carbon.

12. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which the electrodes (11, 12, 13, 14 and 15) of the probe each have a skin-contact surface area value of between 50 mm2 and 20 cm2.

13. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which the probe (10) comprises two electrode pairs (11, 12, 13, 14 and 15) each with a skin-contact surface area that is square or rectangular in shape.

14. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which the probe (10) comprises one row or at least two crossed rows or a matrix of multiple electrodes.

15. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which the electrodes are pointed shape.

16. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which each electrode has a skin-contact surface in the form of a disc, a diameter of which is between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm.

17. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which at least one electrode (11, 12, 13, 14 and 15) of the probe (10) is detachable.

18. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which a spacing between the receiving electrodes (11, 12, 13, 14 and 15) is within the range of 6 mm to 30 mm.

19. Apparatus described in claim 1, in which the electrodes are assembled to be floating and/or the electrode (11, 12, 13, 14, and 15) support is flexible.

20. Apparatus described in claim 1, comprising a means of adjusting the spacing between electrodes (11, 12, 13, 14 and 15) of the probe.

21. Apparatus described in claim 1, wherein at least one electrode (11, 12, 13, 14 and 15) can be retracted into the casing (2) so as to assume a measurement position outside of the casing and a rest position inside of the casing.

22. Apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the probe (10) can be retracted into the casing.

23. Apparatus described in claim 1, comprising a means of detecting a pressure (20) of the skin surface and a means (4) of allowing a measurement to be taken when the pressure detected exceeds a predetermined threshold.

24. Apparatus described in claim 1, comprising a means of detecting a speed (21) of movement over the skin surface and a means of allowing a measurement to be taken when the speed detected falls within a predetermined range.

25. Skin treatment device (50) with a casing (51) comprising:

Skin treatment components (52, 53, 54, 55 and 56),

A control processing unit (4) for said treatment components (52, 53, 54, 55 and 56),

The apparatus (1) for measuring and analyzing the skin surface as described in claim 1,

Said control processing unit (4) being able to automatically control the skin treatment components (52, 53, 54, 55 and 56) based on at least one parameter representing the fat measured and/or calculated by said measurement and analysis apparatus (1).

26. Skin treatment device (50) as described in claim 25, comprising, as treatment components (52, 53, 54, 55 and 56), two rollers (52, 53) with respective parallel longitudinal axes (L52, L53) and/or a suction chamber (54), wherein at least one of said electrode pairs (11, 13;

12, 14 and 15) is adjacent to at least one part of the treatment components (52, 53).

27. Skin treatment device described in claim 26, comprising an interface (7) and a control processing unit (4) that saves measurements and calculation results for each treatment session and displays on the interface (7), based on the analysis of these measurements and results, at least one proposed operational parameter setting for the apparatus from among the following:

Suction level;

Activation of the motorized spinning of the roller(s);

Spin direction and/or speed of the roller(s);

Duration of the session;

Changes in the operating parameters of the device from one session to another;

Spacing between sessions.