Grooming systems, devices, and methods including detection of hair-covered skin lesions during grooming and including topographical analysis

• US 9,307,830 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., McKnight, Gary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cwern, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US14/106,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20150164214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 24/10 combined with additional devices
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0004 with a controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0036 with a lighting means, e.g. laser, bulb A46B15/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0055 Brushes combined with other articles normally separate from the brushing process, e.g. combs, razors, mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1093 Brush for use on animal A46B2200/1086 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/023 arranged like in hair brushes, e.g. hair treatment, dyeing, streaking
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0266 Optical strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0064 Body surface scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1032 Determining colour for diagnostic purposes measuring colour in general G01J3/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1072 measuring distances on the body, e.g. measuring length, height or thickness A61B5/1076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1077 Measuring of profiles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1079 using optical or photographic means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/444 Evaluating skin marks, e.g. mole, nevi, tumour, scar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 : Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 : using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 : characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 : Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/085 : for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0858 : involving measuring tissue layers, e.g. skin, interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 : Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4455 : Features of the external shape of the probe, e.g. ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 : Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 : involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 : involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5223 : for extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data for algorithms to analyse biomedical images G06T7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 : Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods are described for acquiring, among other things, lesion information from a hair or fur-covered region of a biological subject.

Claims

1. A hair care system, comprising:

a body structure including a plurality of spaced-apart projections configured to engage hair, one or more of the plurality of spaced-apart projections forming part of a dielectric sensor component;

one or more impedance sensors forming part of at least one of the plurality of spaced-apart projections, the one or more impedance sensors forming part of the dielectric sensor component; and

a scalp lesion dielectric module including computing device circuitry and memory circuitry, the scalp lesion dielectric module operably coupled to the dielectric sensor component, wherein the scalp lesion dielectric module is configured to identify a scalp surface object based on a comparison of a detected impedance to reference scalp surface object impedance information.

2. The hair care system of claim 1, wherein the scalp lesion dielectric module is configured to identify a scalp surface object based on a detected impedance as a function of position during grooming.

3. The hair care system of claim 1, wherein the scalp lesion dielectric module is configured to acquire impedance information associated with one or more scalp regions.

4. The hair care system of claim 1, wherein the scalp lesion dielectric module is configured to generate at least one of a lesion location, a lesion composition, a lesion configuration, or lesion shape based on an acquired impedance.

5. The hair care system of claim 1, wherein the scalp lesion dielectric module is configured to generate scalp lesion identification information based on an acquired impedance.

6. The hair care system of claim 1, including

a hair care protocol module, the hair care protocol module including computing device circuitry and memory circuitry.

7. The hair care system of claim 6, wherein the hair care protocol module is configured to generate scalp region inspection regimen information.

8. The hair care system of claim 1, including

one or more accelerometers, gyroscopes, or inclinometers forming part of the hair care system;

an inertial navigation module operably coupled to the body structure and to the one or more accelerometers, gyroscopes, or inclinometers, the inertial navigation module including computing device circuitry and memory circuitry;

wherein the inertial navigation module is configured to use the one or more accelerometers, gyroscopes, or inclinometers to generate information indicative of a location and orientation of a portion of the grooming system.

9. The hair care system of claim 8, wherein the inertial navigation module includes circuitry configured to determine the location of one or more of the plurality of spaced-apart projections with respect to a scalp region location.

10. The hair care system of claim 1, including

a sensor array including one or more sensors forming part of at least one of the plurality of spaced-apart projections, the sensor array operably coupled to the body structure and configured to scan a scalp region;

a scalp lesion morphology module operably connected to the sensor array and including computing device circuitry and memory circuitry, wherein the scalp lesion morphology module is configured to generate lesion information associated with the scalp region responsive to one or more inputs from the sensor array.

11. The hair care system of claim 1, including

one or more image sensors forming part of the plurality of spaced-apart projections;

and

a scalp lesion imaging module operably coupled to the one or more image sensors and including computing device circuitry and memory circuitry, the scalp lesion imaging module configured to identify a scalp surface object based on one or more images of a scalp region obtained with the one or more image sensors during grooming.

12. The hair care system of claim 1, including

one or more ultrasonic transducers forming part of at least one of the plurality of spaced-apart projections;

and

a scalp lesion ultrasound imaging module operably coupled to the one or more ultrasonic transducers and including computing device circuitry and memory circuitry, the scalp lesion ultrasound imaging module configured to identify a scalp surface object based on one or more ultrasound images of a scalp region obtained during grooming.

13. The hair care system of claim 1, including

a scalp examination module operably coupled to the scalp lesion dielectric module, the scalp examination module including computing device circuitry and memory circuitry.

14. The hair care system of claim 13, wherein the scalp examination module includes one or more components configured to determine cumulative lesion examination information based on at least one output from the dielectric sensor component.

15. The hair care system of claim 1, including

one or more marker dispenser components;

an examined region module operably coupled to the one or more marker-dispenser components and including computing device circuitry and memory circuitry, the examined region module configured to activate release of one or more marker or dye particles by the marker dispenser components.

16. The hair care system of claim 15, wherein the examined region module is configured to activate release of a dye to mark scalp regions.

17. The hair care system of claim 15, wherein the examined region module is configured to activate release of a marker to mark examined regions during grooming.

18. A hairbrush device, comprising:

a body structure having a plurality of bristles;

circuitry including one or more impedance sensors forming part of the plurality of bristles for acquiring impedance information of one or more scalp regions during grooming; and

circuitry for generating scalp lesion information responsive to one or more inputs from the one or more impedance sensors, the circuitry for generating scalp lesion information including computing device circuitry and memory circuitry.

19. The hairbrush device of claim 18, wherein the circuitry for generating scalp lesion information includes circuitry for generating lesion classification information responsive to one or more inputs from the one or more impedance sensors.

20. The hairbrush device of claim 18, wherein the circuitry for generating scalp lesion information includes circuitry for generating at least one of a lesion location, a lesion composition, a lesion configuration, or lesion shape based on a detected impedance.

21. The hairbrush device of claim 18, wherein the circuitry for generating scalp lesion information includes circuitry for generating scalp lesion information based on a comparison between a detected impedance associated with an anatomical feature of at least one scalp region and reference scalp impedance information.

22. A method, comprising:

acquiring an impedance of one or more hair-covered scalp regions with one or more impedance sensors operably coupled to a hairbrush device during grooming with the hairbrush device, wherein the hairbrush device includes a body structure having a plurality of bristles and a scalp lesion dielectric module including computing device circuitry and memory circuitry, and wherein the one or more impedance sensors form part of the plurality of bristles; and

generating scalp lesion information with the scalp lesion dielectric module based on detecting the impedance of one or more scalp regions with the one or more impedance sensors during grooming.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein acquiring the impedance of the one or more hair-covered scalp regions during grooming with the hairbrush device includes detecting impedance of the one or more hair-covered scalp regions as hair is being groomed.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein generating the scalp lesion information includes generating lesion classification information responsive to one or more inputs from the one or more impedance sensors.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein generating the scalp lesion information includes generating scalp surface object identification information responsive to a change in impedance detected with the one or more impedance sensors.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein generating the scalp lesion information includes generating dielectric permittivity information associated with one or more scalp regions during grooming.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein generating the scalp lesion information includes generating at least one of a lesion location, a lesion composition, a lesion configuration, or lesion shape based on an impedance detected with the one or more impedance sensors.