GB2218802A - An opto-electrical device - Google Patents

An opto-electrical device Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2218802A
GB2218802A GB8805723A GB8805723A GB2218802A GB 2218802 A GB2218802 A GB 2218802A GB 8805723 A GB8805723 A GB 8805723A GB 8805723 A GB8805723 A GB 8805723A GB 2218802 A GB2218802 A GB 2218802A
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United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
light
opto
electrical device
skin
amount
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB8805723A
Other versions
GB8805723D0 (en
Inventor
Glyn Alyn Edwards
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB8805723A priority Critical patent/GB2218802A/en
Publication of GB8805723D0 publication Critical patent/GB8805723D0/en
Publication of GB2218802A publication Critical patent/GB2218802A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/44—Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the integumentary system, e.g. skin, hair or nails
    • A61B5/441—Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/0059—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
    • G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
    • G01N21/47—Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection
    • G01N21/4738—Diffuse reflection, e.g. also for testing fluids, fibrous materials
    • G01N21/474—Details of optical heads therefor, e.g. using optical fibres

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Pathology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Molecular Biology (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
  • Medical Informatics (AREA)
  • Biophysics (AREA)
  • Surgery (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Dermatology (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Biochemistry (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Immunology (AREA)
  • Photometry And Measurement Of Optical Pulse Characteristics (AREA)

Abstract

An opto-electrical device, primarily intended for the measurement of melanin in the skin 9 of humans, comprises a light source 3 arranged to produce an incident beam 10 of light, a photodiode 5 for receiving reflected light 11 from the skin, an amplifier 7 connected to the photodiode and a meter 8 connected to the amplifier for displaying the amount of light absorbed by the skin surface. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: AN OPTO-ELECTRICAL DEVICE This invention relates to an opto-electrical device for the quantitive measurement of melanin in the skin of humans.
As human skin is subjected to sunlight, melanin is synthesised from the amino acid precurser tyrosine.
The deposition of melanin in skin cells is proportional to the amount of irradiation by sunlight and results in a progressive darkening of the skin because melanin absorbs light in the visible and ultra-violet regions of the spectrum. If the skin is exposed to prolonged periods of sunlight it may cause sunburn and the high levels of UV (ultra-violet) light present in the rays of sunlight create a risk of UV induced cancer.
An aim of the present invention is to overcome the risk of sunburn and skin cancer while enabling the sunbather to obtain a healthy suntan by providing an opto-electrical device to enable the quantitive measurement of the degree and rate of suntan to be enumerated.
According to the present invention there is provided an opto-electrical device comprising a light source, to produce an incident beam of light, a photosensitive component to receive a reflected beam of light from the light source, an amplifier for the electrical current from the photo-sensitive component and a measuring device connected to the amplifier to display the amount of light absorbed.
Preferably, the photo-sensitive component is a photodiode.
Conveniently, the measuring device is a meter which displays a numerical reading of the amount of incident light absorbed.
In the at present preferred construction the optoelectrical device is portable and has a matt black casing.
An embodiment of an opto-electrical device, according to the invention, will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing showing a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an opto-electrical device.
The opto-electrical device comprises a rectangular casing 1 which is coated with matt black. Passing through the casing 1 is a channel 2 in which is located a light source 3 illuminated by a power supply (not shown). Located at an acute angle to the channel 2 is a second channel 4 in which is housed a photosensitive component in the form of a photodiode 5.
The photodiode is connected via electrical wires 6 to an amplification circuit 7 which is connected to a meter 8 which displays the numerical reading of the amount of incident light received by the photodiode 5.
The opto-electrical device works on the principle that visible light directed at the human skin can be refracted, absorbed and reflected. Refraction of light is minimal when the incident beam is at a low angle to the perpendicular and can therefore be ignored. The amount of melanin, i.e. the degree of suntan, can be measured by the amount of incident light absorbed, which will be inversely proportional to the amount of incident light reflected from the skin.
In operation the opto-electrical device is held in the hand of the user against the skin 9, e.g. an arm or leg and the light source 3 is switched on directing an incident beam of light 10 onto the surface of the skin. Light is absorbed by the skin and the melanin content of the skin is reflected from the skin as beams 11 which are collected by the photodiode 5 and transmitted through the amplification circuit 7 to the meter 8 where the numerical reading is zeroed. At the beginning of sunbathing, the user takes a measurement to determine the degree of sunburn already attained and from this reading the duration for safe exposure and absorption of sunlight is determined. During the bout of sunbathing further readings are taken of the quantitive measurement of melanin in the skin. The sunbathing is terminated when a safe level of-UV light has been absorbed by the skin of the user.
The device is intended both for use for cosmetic reasons and, in conjunction with the UV light meter as a medical aid to enable people to quantify maximum safe levels of UV light exposure in order to minimise the risk of UV induced skin cancer. It has been predicted by certain members of the medical profession that this type of canceer will be the most common cancer in Northern Europe by the year 2000.
Various modifications may be made to the invention, for example, the photodiode may be replaced by other suitable photo-sensitive electrical components.

Claims (6)

1. An opto-electrical device comprising a light source, to produce an incident beam of light, a photosensitive component to receive a reflected beam of light from the light source, an amplifier for the electrical current from the photosensitive component and a measuring device connected to the amplifier to display th amount of light absorbed.
2. An opto-electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the photo-sensitive component is a photodiode.
3. An opto-electrical device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the measuring device comprises a meter having numerical display means for displaying the amount of incident light absorbed.
4. An opto-electrical device according to any preceding claim, wherein said device is housed in a portable casing having an outer surface designed to absorb light in order to reduce reflection of light from the casing surface.
5. An opto-electrical device according to claim 4, wherein the outer surface of the casing is matt black.
6. An opto-electrical device substantially as described terein with reference to the drawings.
GB8805723A 1988-03-10 1988-03-10 An opto-electrical device Withdrawn GB2218802A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8805723A GB2218802A (en) 1988-03-10 1988-03-10 An opto-electrical device

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8805723A GB2218802A (en) 1988-03-10 1988-03-10 An opto-electrical device

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB8805723D0 GB8805723D0 (en) 1988-04-07
GB2218802A true GB2218802A (en) 1989-11-22

Family

ID=10633190

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB8805723A Withdrawn GB2218802A (en) 1988-03-10 1988-03-10 An opto-electrical device

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2218802A (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5640957A (en) * 1993-09-29 1997-06-24 Instruments Sa, Inc. Ultraviolet radiation protection evaluator
GB2372096A (en) * 2000-09-27 2002-08-14 Litron Optical Ltd Apparatus for determining skin types by detecting the light emitted to and then reflected from skin
WO2004039255A1 (en) * 2002-10-29 2004-05-13 Astron Clinica Limited Methods and apparatus for measuring tissue histology

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2103359A (en) * 1981-08-05 1983-02-16 Ici Plc Reflected light measuring apparatus
EP0193163A2 (en) * 1985-02-26 1986-09-03 Klaus Scheller Device for determining an acute sun-protection factor
WO1987001948A1 (en) * 1985-09-26 1987-04-09 Silvergruppen A/S A method and an apparatus for determining an individual's ability to stand exposure to ultraviolet radiation
WO1988005284A1 (en) * 1987-01-22 1988-07-28 Newer S.A. Apparatus for determining an antisolar protection index

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2103359A (en) * 1981-08-05 1983-02-16 Ici Plc Reflected light measuring apparatus
EP0193163A2 (en) * 1985-02-26 1986-09-03 Klaus Scheller Device for determining an acute sun-protection factor
WO1987001948A1 (en) * 1985-09-26 1987-04-09 Silvergruppen A/S A method and an apparatus for determining an individual's ability to stand exposure to ultraviolet radiation
WO1988005284A1 (en) * 1987-01-22 1988-07-28 Newer S.A. Apparatus for determining an antisolar protection index

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
EP0193163 A2 is equivalent to US4749865 A *

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5640957A (en) * 1993-09-29 1997-06-24 Instruments Sa, Inc. Ultraviolet radiation protection evaluator
GB2372096A (en) * 2000-09-27 2002-08-14 Litron Optical Ltd Apparatus for determining skin types by detecting the light emitted to and then reflected from skin
WO2004039255A1 (en) * 2002-10-29 2004-05-13 Astron Clinica Limited Methods and apparatus for measuring tissue histology
GB2411721A (en) * 2002-10-29 2005-09-07 Astron Clinica Ltd Methods and apparatus for measuring tissue histology

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8805723D0 (en) 1988-04-07

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Legal Events

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WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)