Method for evaluating skin conditions

• US 6,332,868 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2000
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Original Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Makoto, Shioya, Yasushi, Fujikura, Yoshiaki, Murata, Kunihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): NASSER, ROBERT L
• Application Number:
  US09/500,543
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 600/306, 600/473-478, 128/897-8
• 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 5/0095 by applying light and detecting acoustic waves, i.e. photoacoustic measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/445 Evaluating skin irritation or skin trauma, e.g. rash, eczema, wound, bed sore

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for evaluating skin conditions, which comprises applying at least two chemical substances to the skin, measuring amounts of said at least two chemical substances penetrated into the skin and calculating out the ratio between the amounts penetrated into the skin; and a kit for evaluating skin conditions, comprising a reagent containing at least two chemical substances and a measuring device of amounts of the chemical substances penetrated into the skin, wherein said at least two chemical substances are applied to the skin, amounts of said at least two chemical substances penetrated into the skin are measured by means of the measuring device, and the ratio between the amounts penetrated into the skin is calculated out.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating skin conditions, comprising the steps of:

applying at least two chemical substances to skin;

measuring amounts of said at least two chemical substances penetrated into the skin; and

calculating a ratio between the amounts of said at least two chemical substances penetrated into the skin.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amounts of said at least two chemical substances penetrated into the skin are obtained by at least one of an opto-acoustic method, a chromatographic method, a color difference method and an absorptiometric method.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amounts of the chemical substances penetrated into the skin are measured by an apparatus including irradiating means for irradiating the skin with excitation light and detecting means for detecting an acoustic signal generated in a medium provided in the apparatus by the skin.

4. A kit for evaluating skin conditions, comprising:

a reagent containing at least two chemical substances; and

a measuring device configured to measure amounts of the at least two chemical substances penetrated into the skin;

wherein said at least two chemical substances are applied to the skin, amounts of said at least two chemical substances penetrated into the skin are measured by the measuring device, and a ratio between the amounts of said at least two chemical substances penetrated into the skin is calculated.

5. The kit according to claim 4, wherein the measuring device comprises an apparatus including irradiating means for irradiating the skin with excitation light and detecting means for detecting an acoustic signal generated in a medium provided in the apparatus by the skin.

6. An apparatus for measuring amounts of chemical substances penetrated into skin, comprising:

irradiating means for irradiating the skin with excitation light; and

detecting means for detecting an acoustic signal generated in a medium provided in the apparatus by the skin;

wherein;

said irradiating means comprises at least one light emitting diode as a source of the excitation light; and

the acoustic signal is used to evaluate conditions of the skin.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

said irradiating means comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes configured to emit lights having emission spectra which overlap with each other;

output controlling means for controlling output of the plurality of light emitting diodes to emit the lights concurrently; and

an optical filter configured to pass rays within a prescribed wavelength range among the lights emitted from the plurality of light emitting diodes.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the light emitting diode is driven at a duty ratio of 30 to 70%, and positioned adjacent to the skin such that an emission center of the light emitting diode is at a distance of 3 to 16 mm to the skin and the light emitting diode irradiates the skin in a diameter of 2 to 8 mm.

9. An apparatus for evaluating skin conditions, comprising the apparatus according to claim 6.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a controller configured to control modulation frequency of the excitation light according to a prescribed depth of measurement under the skin.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an oscillating circuit configured to produce the modulation frequency of the excitation light.

12. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said detecting means comprises a microphone.