Method for quantitatively determining eyelash clumping

• US 9,140,681 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Galleria Co (Agnaten SE)
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Hodgetts, Jennifer Clare, Smith, Charles Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Bitar, Nancy
• Application Number:
  US13/894,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20130308823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 44/00 Other cosmetic or toiletry articles, e.g. for hairdressers' rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/84 Systems specially adapted for particular applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8983 for testing textile webs, i.e. woven material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/94 Investigating contamination, e.g. dust G01N21/85 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4833 of solid biological material, e.g. tissue samples, cell cultures tissue in vivo A61B5/00; cell suspensions G01N33/48735
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor

Abstract

A method for quantifying clumping in fibrous materials is disclosed herein. In some examples, the method may be utilized for quantifying clumping in keratinous materials such as eyelashes when a composition such as mascara is applied thereto.

Claims

1. A method for quantitatively determining eyelash clumping, the method comprising:

a. providing an eyelash substrate comprising an array of eyelashes, each eyelash having a length defined by a base and an opposing tip;

b. capturing a first image of the eyelashes prior to depositing a mascara for use as a ghost image;

c. applying an amount of the mascara to the eyelashes;

d. capturing a second image of the eyelashes with the mascara applied thereto;

e. analyzing a first portion of second the image to obtain first individual thickness measures for each eyelash disposed in the first portion;

f. analyzing a second portion of the second image to obtain second individual thickness measures for each eyelash disposed in the second portion;

g. obtaining first average thickness measures from the first individual thickness measures and second average thickness measures from the second individual thickness measures;

h. applying a weighting function to the first and second average thickness measures to generate first and second weighted thickness values; and

i. obtaining a Weighted Average Thickness value from the first and second average thickness measures to provide a quantitative determination of eyelash clumping;

j. wherein the second image of the eyelashes with the mascara applied thereto is superimposed on the ghost image and aligned therewith.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the weighting function is Y=0.0675x²−

23.75x+225, where Y is the weighted thickness value and x is the average thickness measure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the eyelashes with the mascara applied thereto is analyzed by using a computer and image analysis software.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the eyelashes with the mascara applied thereto is cropped after aligning ghost image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is converted to a black and white binary image that includes white regions and black regions, the black regions corresponding to the eyelashes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first portion and second portions of the image are bar-code images having a height of between 1 and 5 pixels, where 1 pixel is spatially calibrated to represent 10.4 microns.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the bar-code image is analyzed to determine a thickness of each black region.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions are spaced apart by a predetermined amount.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined amount is between 1 and 10 pixels, where 1 pixel is spatially calibrated to represent 10.4 microns.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is captured using a digital single-lens reflex camera with a resolution of at least 7 megapixels.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mascara is applied to the eyelashes by a person with a mascara brush.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mascara is applied using between 1 and 10 strokes.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a first weighted average thickness value is determined at 1 stroke or a first number of strokes and a second weighted average thickness value is determined at a second number of strokes, the first number of strokes being less than the second number of strokes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first weighted average thickness value is compared to the second weighted average thickness value to obtain a dump and fix clumping profile for a mascara product.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising joining the eyelash substrate to a repositioning template.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising placing the repositioning template in a target image area.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second portions extends across the entire array of eyelashes.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising one or more additional portions extending along the entire length of the eyelashes at predetermined spacing.