The present invention relates to apparatus and method for viewing the skin, and more particularly, for viewing the skin under different wavelengths and polarization of light.
The monitoring and maintenance of healthy skin is an important concern for most people. Typically people examine their skin using a mirror in a setting with natural, incandescent and/or fluorescent lighting. This self examination process is used by a person to ascertain the condition of their skin and potentially to treat the skin with various therapies and preparations in order to improve the condition of the skin. For example, upon viewing the skin in the mirror and ascertaining that the skin looks oily, the selection and use of a washing and/or drying agent may be employed. The presence of wrinkled skin may indicate that a moisturizer or other wrinkle treatment would be advisable. People with acne frequently check their skin in the mirror to monitor and treat the acne condition. In addition to the skin conditions that are readily visible in normal lighting environments, there are also conditions that are invisible to inspection using a mirror in typical lighting. For example, conditions of the skin, such as the dilation of blood vessels below the surface, and UV photo damage to subsurface layers (mainly due to exposure to the sun), etc., will not necessarily be apparent by simply viewing the surface of the skin in a mirror. It is now known that inspection of the skin utilizing various wavelengths of light and/or polarized light can illuminate and reveal skin conditions which would otherwise be imperceptible. In addition, these alternative illuminating techniques can highlight and emphasize visible conditions, such as wrinkles or acne. Known techniques for sub-surface or enhanced surface viewing typically involve photography, wherein a flash unit which is capable of producing light of a particular wavelength is activated and an image captured with a camera. Various filters may also be employed in this process. For example, polarized photography has been utilized to enhance the surface or subsurface features of the skin by placing the polarizer in front of a flash unit and in front of a camera, and a photograph of the skin taken under these conditions. When the pictures obtained are examined, surface features of the skin, such as scales, wrinkles, fine lines, pores, and hairs are visually enhanced. When the polarizers are arranged perpendicular to each other, sub-surface features of the skin such as erythema pigmentation and blood vessels are visually enhanced. When the polarizers are in the same orientation, surface features of the skin such as scales, wrinkles, fine lines, pores and hairs are visually enhanced. Ultraviolet (UV) photography utilizing a flash unit filtered to produce ultraviolet A light and a camera is filtered so that only visible light enters the lens produces images that are visually enhanced with regard to pigmentation, the presence of the bacteria p. acnes and horn. A variation of ultraviolet photography has been termed the “sun camera” where ultraviolet A light is used to illuminate the skin and an ultraviolet A sensitive digital camera is used to record the ultraviolet light reflected from the skin. In this arrangement, both pigment distribution and the surface features of the skin are visually enhanced. While the foregoing photographic techniques have proven valuable and useful for analyzing the condition of the skin, they require fairly sophisticated and expensive equipment and the use of photographic techniques. There is a need therefore for an inexpensive and uncomplicated apparatus and method for enhanced visualization of the skin.
The problems and disadvantages associated with conventional apparatus and techniques utilized to view the skin are overcome by the present invention, which includes apparatus and methods for aiding a person illuminated by a light source to view their skin in a mirror. The light source emanates light that impinges upon the skin of the person, causing light to be reflected from the skin and causing the skin to emit light, the reflected and emitted light impinging on the mirror and further reflecting from the mirror to the eye of the person. The emanation of light from the light source and subsequent reflections and emanation from the skin and the mirror to the eye define a path of light energy from the light source to the eye. A light modification element other than a magnifying lens is interposed in the path of light energy between the light source and the eye of the person viewing the skin, the light modification element enhancing the visualization of at least one attribute of the skin. In accordance with a method for conducting self-examination of the skin in a mirror, a person illuminates the skin with a light source emanating light of a selected wavelength and state of polarization/nonpolarization to create a path of light energy from the light source to the eye of the person. A light modification element other than a magnifying lens is positioned in the path of light to enhance the person's view of themselves in the mirror, such that the perceptibility of an attribute of their skin is visually enhanced over that otherwise viewable in the mirror without the light modification element.
The system 5 comprehends a single-use device e.g., a pair of goggles with a single type of lenses 20a, 20b and a light 12 having a single illuminating light output, or may use multiple light sources/filters and goggle combinations. A plurality of different lenses/filters may be provided to cooperate with a single pair of goggles 22 and a single light 12, or a set of different goggles 22 and/or set of different light sources 12 may be utilized.
Various selectable components and combinations of lenses 20 and lights 12 for the system 5 are illustrated in
For viewing skin wrinkles, the light 12 may include a white light source, such as a tungsten lamp, white LED, fluorescent bulb, or metal halide light. Illuminating light is filtered through a polarizing lens 24 disposed on the output of the light 12. The light 12 may be held by the user and shone onto the face (or body) to be analyzed in front of a normal mirror. The user wears a set of goggles 22 that include polarizing filter lenses 20a, 20b oriented in the same polarization direction as the polarizing lens 24. This configuration of the system 5 enhances the visualization of surface texture and wrinkles of the skin, while obscuring the skin's sub-surface characteristics that can obscure surface information.
To view skin inflammation and sub-surface blood vessels, the light 12 includes a white light source, such as a tungsten lamp, white LED, fluorescent bulb, or metal halide light. The illuminating light is filtered through a polarizing lens 24 on the output of the light 12. The light 12 may be held by the user and shone onto the face (or body) to be analyzed in front of a normal mirror. The orientation of the polarization filter 24 is perpendicular to polarizing filter lenses 20a, 20b of the goggles 22. In this configuration, the system 5 eliminates the visualization of the surface texture and wrinkles of the skin, while enhancing the skin's sub-surface characteristics such as the redness and vasculature under the skin's surface.
Acne related conditions, i.e., horn and bacteria may be viewed with a light 12 emitting blue light (380-420 nm), which can be produced by LED's, or white light from a tungsten bulb or metal halide or blue fluorescent source, that is shone onto the face of the user. The user wears goggles 22 with yellow lenses 20a, 20b, which block the incident blue light and allows for the visualization of porphyrin fluorescence (red color) showing where bacteria is active in producing porphyrins from sebum and the location of individual comedones expressing horn (epidermal cells with sebaceous material) which fluoresces white. Using this configuration of the system 5, areas of acne activity prior to inflammatory breakout may be visualized.
The system 5 may be utilized to view UV photodamage, collagen and elastin florescence and pigmentation by using a light 12 emitting UV light (320-400 nm). UV light can be produced by a fluorescent black light bulb, a filtered tungsten lamp, a filtered zenon lamp, a UV LED, or filtered metal halide source. The UV light is shone onto the face or body of the user to fluoresce the collagen and elastin in the skin. The level of fluorescence is dependent on the amount of photo damage and skin age of the individual. The amount of pigment and distribution of pigment is highlighted by the underlying collagen and elastin fluorescence and indicates the extent of photodamage to the individual's skin. The user should wear goggles 22 with UV filtering lenses 20a, 20b that block UV radiation to protect the eyes from the potentially harmful UV.