Reflection detection type measurement apparatus and method for skin autofluorescence

• US 9,888,855 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2015
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute
• Inventors: Kang, Uk, Papayan, Garry V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cattungal, Sanjay
• Application Number:
  US14/675,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20150201839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 600473-480
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis

Abstract

Provided is a reflection detection type measurement method for skin fluorescence. The method includes: irradiating excitation light on a measurement target; detecting a reflected light and a skin fluorescence generated from the measurement target due to the excitation light; irradiating light with a wavelength range of the skin fluorescence on the measurement target; detecting a reflected light generated from the measurement target due to the light with a wavelength range of the skin fluorescence; and calculating a skin fluorescence value of the measurement target by correcting a calculation based on the detected reflected light and skin fluorescence.

Claims

1. A reflection detection type measurement method for skin fluorescence, the method comprising:

irradiating excitation light on a measurement target;

detecting a first reflected light and a skin fluorescence generated from the measurement target due to the excitation light;

irradiating light with a same wavelength range of the skin fluorescence, which is generated from the measurement target due to the excitation light, on the measurement target;

detecting a second reflected light generated from the measurement target due to the light with a wavelength range of the skin fluorescence; and

calculating a skin fluorescence value of the measurement target by correcting a calculation based on the detected first reflected light, second reflected light and skin fluorescence.

2. The reflection detection type measurement method of claim 1, wherein a dark time is maintained for a certain time before irradiating the excitation light on the measurement target, and a dark signal value of the measurement target compensates the skin fluorescence value during the dark time.

3. The reflection detection type measurement method of claim 1, wherein a wavelength of the excitation light has a range of 370±

20 nm.

4. The reflection detection type measurement method of claim 1, wherein a wavelength of the skin fluorescence has a range of 440±

20 nm.

5. The reflection detection type measurement method of claim 1, wherein the excitation light and the skin fluorescence are irradiated on the same area of the measurement target.

6. The reflection detection type measurement method of claim 1, wherein the excitation light is irradiated on the measurement target for a first time, and the skin fluorescence is irradiated on the measurement target for a second time after the first time.

7. The reflection detection type measurement method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first reflected light and the skin fluorescence generated from the measurement target due to the excitation light comprises detecting light with a specific wavelength range of the first reflected light and the skin fluorescence.

8. The reflection detection type measurement method of claim 7, wherein a wavelength range of the reflected light is smaller than a wavelength range of the skin fluorescence.

9. A reflection detection type measurement apparatus for skin fluorescence, the apparatus comprising:

a first light source irradiating light with a first wavelength range on a measurement target;

a second light source irradiating light with a second wavelength range on the measurement target;

a first optical detector detecting the light with a first wavelength range generated from the measurement target by the light of the first light source;

a second optical detector detecting a skin fluorescence with the second wavelength range generated from the measurement target by the light of the first light source, and detecting the light with a second wavelength range generated from the measurement target by the light of the second light source;

a light source switching controller controlling a turned on/off of the first light source and the second light source; and

an operation part for calculating a corrected skin fluorescence by correcting from a signal based on the detected light with a first wavelength range, light with a second wavelength range and skin fluorescence,

wherein the light with the second wavelength range has a same wavelength range of light which is generated from the measurement target by the light with the first wavelength range.

10. The reflection detection type measurement apparatus of claim 9, wherein the light with a second wavelength range is longer than the light with a first wavelength range.

11. The reflection detection type measurement apparatus of claim 9, wherein the light source switching controller turns off the first light source and the second light source so as to maintain a dark time for a certain time before irradiating the light of the first light source.

12. The reflection detection type measurement apparatus of claim 9, wherein the light source switching controller turns off the first light source and the second light source so as to maintain a dark time for a certain time before irradiating the light of the second light source.

13. The reflection detection type measurement apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first optical detector is turned off while the second optical detector detects the light generated from the measurement target due to the light with a second wavelength range.

14. The reflection detection type measurement apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first optical detector and the second optical detector are turned on during a dark time maintained for a certain time before irradiating the light of the first light source.

15. The reflection detection type measurement apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first optical detector and the second optical detector are turned on during a dark time maintained for a certain time before irradiating the light of the second light source.

16. The reflection detection type measurement apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first wavelength range has a range of 370±

20 nm.

17. The reflection detection type measurement apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second wavelength range has a range of 440±

20 nm.