JP4763975B2 - Image display method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method of observing horny layer cells on the skin surface without staining.

  It is as important as a cosmetic seller or user to select a cosmetic suitable for the user's skin as much as or more than the cosmetic act itself. Selecting and using inappropriate cosmetics can not only have a positive effect, but can even have a negative effect.

For this reason, various techniques for selecting a cosmetic suitable for the user's skin have been developed. Among these, the state of the stratum corneum is a powerful information source for selecting cosmetics. Therefore, there are many techniques for detecting the skin condition from the stratum corneum cells (see, for example, Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, Patent Document 4, Patent Document 5, Patent Document 6, and Patent Document 7). .

  Further, it has become clear in recent years that the information on the state of the stratum corneum is particularly important for its shape characteristics, and that for the regularity of arrangement is important (for example, patent document). 8).

  What is particularly important in observing this arrangement regularity is the degree of cell-cell connection, in other words, the clarity of the cell-cell junction (so-called “margin”) is an important indicator. This cell-cell junction has a close relationship with skin irritation sensitivity.

  The state of the cell junction is clarified only by staining with a stain such as gentian violet in the conventional method. For this reason, it is necessary to observe the stained stratum corneum cells after staining, which increases the time required for analysis.

Under such circumstances, the already known skin property analysis system using the state of the horny layer cells is performed in a form that omits the staining step and eliminates the arrangement regularity of the horny layer cells (for example, , See Patent Document 9).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-209292 JP 2000-116623 A JP 2000-125854 A JP 2001-13138 A JP 2003-315331 A JP 2002-65616 A JP 2000-111546 A JP 2001-13138 A JP 09-308619 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-24025

  By the way, in order to incorporate the evaluation of the regularity of stratum corneum cells into the analysis system, it is necessary to have an observation means that can quickly detect the characteristics under non-staining conditions. As an example, a method using a video microscope is also performed (see, for example, Patent Document 10).

  This method is a method of displaying the state of the stratum corneum cells as an image by irradiating the collected stratum corneum with light and converting the shadow formed on the surface of the stratum corneum into electrical signals.

  However, in this method, the stratum corneum cells are directly observed from the pressure-sensitive adhesive side rather than through the transparent support, and therefore, fine irregularities on the cell surface are clearly observed. As a result, there is a problem that it becomes difficult to distinguish between cells and cell junctions, which are the purpose of observation.

  Therefore, the present invention has an object to provide an observation method that can detect the shape characteristics of stratum corneum cells, and in particular, the regularity of stratum corneum cell arrangement, especially the joining state of stratum corneum cells, even under non-staining conditions. And

  The present invention has been made in view of the above matters, and is a method for observing stratum corneum cells on the skin surface, wherein the light-transmitting support having an adhesive surface is pressure-bonded to the skin surface and then peeled off. The stratum corneum cells are collected on, the light-impermeable support is disposed on the adhesive surface side of the light-transmitting support, and the light-transmitting support is non-adhesive by a light source provided around the imaging means for imaging the stratum corneum cells. An image display device that irradiates light from the surface side toward the adhesive surface side, condenses the reflected light by a polarizing unit, images the stratum corneum by the imaging unit, and uses the obtained captured image as an enlarged image And observing the state of stratum corneum cells.

  In this way, the stratum corneum cells are collected on the adhesive surface of the light-transmitting support to obtain a stratum corneum cell sample, and the stratum corneum cell sample is irradiated with light from a specific direction to identify the stratum corneum cell sample. By enlarging an image obtained by photographing the reflected light in the direction through the polarizing means, the shape characteristics and the like of the stratum corneum cells can be clearly observed. The imaging means according to the present invention can image the shape characteristics and / or cell area of the horny layer cells. In particular, it is possible to observe the arrangement regularity including the joining state of stratum corneum cells. Thus, since the skin of the cosmetic user can be observed and analyzed in detail, it can be said that the cosmetic according to the analysis result is the cosmetic that the user has come to.

  The light-transmitting support according to the present invention has a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface, and is a transparent film formed from a polyester film, a polyester thin plate, a polyvinyl chloride film, a polyvinyl chloride thin plate, an acrylic resin film, an acrylic resin thin plate, or the like. Transparent tape and transparent thin plate are preferred.

  In addition, the pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to the light-transmitting support may be a crosslinkable polymer such as vinyl acetate, vinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl alcohol, or vinyl ether, which may be crosslinked, or a water-affinity polymer compound. Can be used. Among them, polyvinyl acetate having a crosslinked structure, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl ether, vinyl pyrrolidone / vinyl acetate copolymer, or hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, polyacrylic acid and / or a salt thereof, and polymethacrylic acid And / or a salt thereof can be more preferably used. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Particularly preferred are polyvinyl acetate having a crosslinked structure, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl pyrrolidone / vinyl acetate copolymer, and the like.

Further, a water-soluble fixing agent is applied to the light-transmitting support, but this may be performed according to a conventional method. For example, the light-transmitting support is moistened with an aqueous carrier, and the water-soluble fixing is applied thereto. A method of spraying a powder of an agent, a method of spray-drying an aqueous solution of a water-soluble fixing agent, a method of applying an aqueous solution of a water-soluble fixing agent with a doctor blade or the like, and drying on a release paper treated with silicone, Preferred examples include a method of spreading the polymer, attaching a light-transmitting support thereto, and transferring the polymer onto the light-transmitting support. In such coating, the support can be previously treated with a surfactant or the like to make the coating thickness more uniform. As such a surfactant, an ether type surfactant is preferable, and specifically, Triton X-100 can be preferably exemplified. In the present invention, it is also possible to purchase and use a transparent adhesive tape or the like that is already in the market and has such a form.
Since the light-transmitting support has an adhesive surface in this manner, stratum corneum cells can be collected by a simple operation of pressing the adhesive surface against the skin surface of the user's cheek, forehead, arm, or the like.

  The light-impermeable support is not particularly limited as long as it is light-impermeable, but a black plastic plate can be preferably used. By arranging such a light-impermeable support on the adhesive surface side of the transmissive support, irradiating light from a light source and observing from the non-adhesive surface side, the air contact surface of the horny layer cells is passed through the light-transmissive support. Can be observed. By observing in this way, it is possible to eliminate the visual noise of the connection structure with the tissue.

Furthermore, the gap between the pressure-sensitive adhesive surface of the light-transmitting support according to the present invention and the light-impermeable support is preferably 0.1 to 10 mm .

The light source according to the present invention may be arranged in a ring shape around the imaging means. By forming the light source in an annular shape, it is possible to uniformly irradiate the irradiation target with light.
In addition, the light source is preferably a light source having good light directivity, such as an optical fiber or a light emitting diode. Furthermore, the irradiation angle is not particularly limited because it can be freely set depending on the aperture when, for example, an annular light source is used, but preferably the angle is within 45 ° with respect to the normal direction of the light transmission support. preferable.

  Furthermore, a commercially available device (such as a camera) may be used as the imaging means for imaging the stratum corneum cells. As a preferable commercially available device, “i-scope USB (registered trademark)” sold by Morritex Co., Ltd. can be exemplified. This device has a photographing head (attachment) equipped with a camera and captures an image from the opening of its tip. Light sources (for example, light emitting diodes) arranged in an annular shape inside a plastic casing are provided. Built in around the camera lens.

  Image information collected and photographed on the light receiving part of the camera can be obtained by using image capture processing software, for example, the image capture software attached to the “eye-scope (i-scope) USB”. The stratum corneum cell image can be taken into a computer as clear and accurate image information. The captured image information is displayed as an enlarged image on an image display device such as a CRT or a liquid crystal using image processing software such as “Photoshop” or “Paint Brush” to observe the state of the horny layer cells. I can do it. The shape and arrangement characteristics of the stratum corneum cells can be clearly observed by such a configuration of the imaging means and the light source.

  Furthermore, the image pickup means according to the present invention may have a light receiving portion, and the polarization means may be mounted on the light receiving portion in a rotatable state. In this way, by appropriately rotating the polarizing means to obtain a suitable angle, scattered light and the like can be eliminated, and clear image information can be obtained. A preferable example of such a rotatable structure is a structure in which a polarizing means provided with a protective frame is sandwiched between two support plates that are installed with a gap and have an open hole in the center, and fixed.

  According to the present invention, there is provided an observation method and apparatus capable of detecting the shape characteristics of stratum corneum cells, in particular, the regularity of stratum corneum cell arrangement, particularly the joining state of stratum corneum cells, even under non-staining conditions. be able to.

Hereinafter, a method for observing horny layer cells of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a method for observing horny layer cells using an observation device for horny layer cells will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the observation device 1 for horny layer cells of the present embodiment includes an imaging unit main body 2 that images the collected horny layer cells, and a display that displays the captured image connected to the imaging unit main body 2. And a personal computer (image display means) 3.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the imaging unit main body 2 includes a light source 4 that irradiates light to a horny layer cell sample (see FIG. 3) S to which horny layer cells are attached, and polarized light that polarizes reflected light accompanying light irradiation. It has a plate (polarizing means) 5 and a camera (imaging means) 6 that images the stratum corneum cells via a polarizing plate.

  FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the stratum corneum cell sample S in the present embodiment. The stratum corneum cell sample S is composed of a light-transmitting adhesive support (light-transmitting support) 7 having an adhesive surface M and a light-impermeable support 8 provided on the adhesive surface M side of the light-transmitting adhesive support 7. ing. In this embodiment, the adhesive surface M of 7 is an adhesive tape.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the polarizing plate 5 is disposed on the front surface of the light receiving unit of the camera 6. This is because the stratum corneum cells have a three-dimensional shape, and even if the reflected light in the perpendicular direction is collected, the specularly reflected light from the stratum corneum cells and other scattered light that are part of the noise are mixed and unclear This is because it is necessary to remove the image information as much as possible.

  Furthermore, the polarizing plate 5 according to the present embodiment is equipped in a state where it can rotate with respect to the light receiving unit of the camera 6. By appropriately rotating the polarizing plate 5 to obtain a suitable angle, scattered light and the like can be eliminated, and clear image information can be obtained.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a polarizing plate unit U was attached to the front surface of the lens arranged in front of the camera 6. The polarizing plate unit U includes a polarizing plate 5 and a pair of fixing plates 9a and 9a that sandwich the plate surface of the polarizing plate 5 from both the front and back surfaces. The fixing plates 9a and 9b have window portions 10a and 10b formed in the center thereof, and screw holes 12a, 13a, 12b and 13b are provided in the frame portions 11a and 11b. Screws 14 and 15 are inserted into the screw holes 12a, 13a, 12b, and 13b to maintain the state in which the fixing plates 9a and 9b sandwich the polarizing plate 5, and the fixing plates 9a and 9b and the polarizing plate 5 are fixed. Is done. The polarizing plate 5 is arbitrarily rotated by operating a handle 5a attached to the side edge.
The light source 4 of this embodiment uses a light emitting diode. Further, the light source 4 is arranged in an annular shape around the camera 6 in consideration of the uniformity of light irradiation.

  Next, based on the test example performed using the stratum corneum cell observation apparatus 1 described above, the observation method for stratum corneum cells in the present embodiment will be described in detail.

(Test Example 1)
First, (1) corneocytes are collected by the light transmitting adhesive support 7. The stratum corneum cells are collected by pressing and adhering the adhesive surface of the light-transmitting adhesive support 7 to a site where the stratum corneum cells are to be collected, such as the cheek part of a cosmetic paneler (user), and then slowly peeling off. At this time, it is important that the adhesive surface is pressure-bonded so that the load is evenly applied to the skin, kept under pressure for a while, and then slowly peeled off from the end.

  Next, (2) the collected stratum corneum cell sample S is prepared. The stratum corneum cells collected on the light-transmitting adhesive support 7 are used for observation from the non-adhesive surface N side after the light-impermeable support 8 is arranged on the adhesive surface M side of the light-transmitting adhesive support 7. Is done. Here, the adhesive surface M of the light-transmitting adhesive support 7 and the light-impermeable support 8 may be attached or arranged with a certain gap, but in this embodiment, the light-transmitting adhesive support 7 The adhesive surface M and the light-impermeable support 8 were placed with a gap of 1 mm.

  (3) For the stratum corneum cell sample S, a light source from the opposite side of the light-impermeable support 8 (that is, the non-adhesive surface N side of the light-transmitting adhesive support 7) toward the light-transmitting adhesive support 7 4 to irradiate light. The reflected light that accompanies this irradiation includes a lot of reflected light that passes through the light-transmitting adhesive support and is directly reflected by the stratum corneum cells, and reflected light that is reflected by the light-impermeable support 8 and is reflected by the stratum corneum cells. Although there is reflected light, the reflected light from the stratum corneum cell sample S is collected by the camera 6 placed in a direction perpendicular to the light-transmitting adhesive support 7 in order to eliminate blurring of image information due to specularly reflected light. Lighted. Note that the perpendicular direction is for eliminating the unclearness of image information due to the regular reflection of the irradiated light. Depending on the position of the light source 4 and the irradiation angle, the position of the camera 6 is within the target range. It is possible to change.

  (4) The reflected light is condensed on the light receiving portion of the camera 6 through the polarizing plate 5. At this time, by changing the angle with the handle 5a of the polarizing plate unit U, the angle at which the morphology of the stratum corneum cell is most observable is determined.

  After the angle is determined, (5) the stratum corneum is imaged by the camera 6. The image information captured here is captured by the image capturing processing software installed in the personal computer 3 as clear and accurate image information. The captured image information is displayed as an enlarged image on the display of the personal computer 3.

  FIGS. 5 and 6 show photographs of images taken using the stratum corneum observation device 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIGS. 7 and 8 show images taken using a conventional imaging device.

  Observing FIGS. 5 and 6, it can be seen that the arrangement state and shape of the stratum corneum cells are clearly imaged. On the other hand, when observing FIG.7 and FIG.8, it turns out that the light irradiated from the light source 4 is scattered, and the arrangement | sequence state and shape of a stratum corneum cell are not displayed clearly.

  From this, it can be seen that the image captured by the method of the present invention can clearly observe the stratum corneum cells, including the detailed situation of the junction of the stratum corneum cells.

(Test Example 2)
The observation of the stratum corneum cells using the observation apparatus 1 and the method of the present embodiment is performed on seven panelists who are determined to have sensitive skin due to poor regularity of the stratum corneum cells in normal gentian violet staining. To determine whether the skin is sensitive.

  As a comparative example, Table 1 shows the results of discrimination made by observing an image captured using a normal photographing head not equipped with the polarizing plate unit U. As can be seen from this result, according to the observation apparatus 1 and method of the present embodiment, it is clear that it is possible to quickly and accurately determine whether the skin is sensitive.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited only to such examples.

  The apparatus and method of the present invention can be applied to distinguish skin properties from accurate stratum corneum cells.

It is a whole block diagram of the observation apparatus used for the observation method of the horny layer cell of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the imaging | photography main body part which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the stratum corneum sample of this embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the polarizing plate unit state concerning this embodiment. It is a figure (photograph) which shows the image of the horny layer cell imaged with the non-staining observation method of this embodiment. It is a figure (photograph) which shows the image of the horny layer cell imaged with the observation method of this embodiment. It is a figure (photograph) which shows the image of the stratum corneum image imaged with the observation method which does not use a polarizing plate. It is a figure (photograph) which shows the image of the stratum corneum image imaged with the observation method which does not use a polarizing plate.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Observation apparatus 2 Imaging part main body 3 Personal computer (image display apparatus)
4 Light source 5 Polarizing plate (polarizing means)
5a Handle 6 Camera (imaging means)
6a Light-receiving part 7 Light transmission adhesion support body (light transmission support body)
8 Light-opaque supports 9a, 9a Fixing plates 10a, 10b Window portions 11a, 11b Frame portions 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b Screw holes 14, 15 Screw M Adhesive surface N Non-adhesive surface S Corneal layer cell sample U Polarizing plate unit

Claims (6)

An image display method for displaying stratum corneum cells on the skin surface on an image display device under non-staining conditions,
Light transmitting support the light black adhesive side impermeable support of the light-transmitting support corneocytes were taken PSA plane by being peeled off after being pressed against the skin surface having an adhesive surface Is arranged so that the gap between the adhesive surface of the light-transmitting support and the light-impermeable support is 0.1 to 10 mm,
Reflected light of the light irradiated from the non-adhesive surface side of the light-transmissive support toward the adhesive surface side by a light source provided around the imaging means for imaging the stratum corneum cells is transmitted through the polarizing plate to the imaging means. Displaying the captured image of the horny layer cells imaged by focusing on the image display device,
Image display method.   The image display method according to claim 1, wherein the light transmission support is a transparent adhesive tape.   The image display method according to claim 1, wherein the light sources are arranged in an annular shape centering on the imaging unit.   The image display method according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit includes a light receiving unit, and the polarizing unit is attached to the light receiving unit in a rotatable state.   5. The image display method according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit images a shape characteristic and / or a cell area of the stratum corneum cell.   The image display method according to claim 1, wherein the shape characteristic is an array regularity including a joining state of stratum corneum cells.

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