KR100581072B1 - Apparatus and method for measuring a skin ingredient by total reflection characteristics of light - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for measuring skin components using total reflection of light. More specifically, light incident on a photoconductive medium having a refractive index greater than that of a skin component and having a core form of an optical fiber is totally reflected at a critical angle or more. The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for quantitatively analyzing various skin components at the same time without damaging or modifying skin using characteristics.

An apparatus for measuring skin components using total reflection of light of the present invention includes a plurality of photoconductive media having a refractive index greater than that of air and smaller than the refractive index of skin; Light emitting parts and light receiving parts located on both sides of the plurality of photoconductive media; And a measuring unit positioned at a portion of the plurality of photoconductive media.

In addition, the skin component measuring method using the total reflection of the light of the present invention includes a light emitting unit for emitting the light receiving the electric signal; The light emitted from the light emitting part is incident on one side of each of the plurality of photoconductive media; Proceeding to the skin component measuring unit only the light totally reflected from the incident light; The light moved to the measurement unit is totally reflected by the skin component of the lower surface; Leaving the photoconductive medium while repeating the total reflection at the top and bottom surfaces; And light entering the light-receiving portion from the photoconductive medium.

Therefore, the skin component measuring apparatus and method using the total reflection of the light of the present invention is a skin using the characteristic that the light is incident on the photoconductive medium having a refractive index larger than the skin component and has a core form of the optical fiber is totally reflected above the critical angle It is effective to quantitatively analyze various skin components without damage or deformation.

Skin components, total reflection, photoconductor, optical fiber

Description

Apparatus and method for measuring a skin ingredient by total reflection characteristics of light}             

1 is a block diagram of a skin component measuring apparatus according to the prior art.

2A to 2C are graphs showing refractive characteristics of light.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the skin component measuring apparatus according to the present invention.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for measuring skin components using total reflection of light. More specifically, the present invention relates to a photoelectric having a core shape of an optical fiber having a refractive index greater than that of skin components. The present invention relates to a device and a method for simultaneously quantitatively analyzing various skin components without skin damage or deformation by using a feature in which light incident on a medium is totally reflected above a critical angle.

In recent years, due to the rapid development of the industry, various sources of pollution exist in the air, making it difficult to maintain healthy skin. Therefore, it can be said that measuring skin components regularly and checking their skin condition is a basic process for maintaining healthy skin.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an apparatus for measuring skin components using electricity according to the prior art. In more detail, an IDT (Inter Digital Transducer) electrode composed of first and second electrodes 2 and 3 spaced apart from each other, and a coating agent surrounding one end of the IDT electrode to prevent corrosion and physical damage of the IDT electrode ( An electrode sensor 1 for skin contact composed of 4); A voltage, current and frequency generator and measurement unit 5 to be applied to the first and second electrodes of the electrode sensor for skin contact; An analyzer (6) for analyzing the electrical signals measured by the voltage, current and frequency generator and the measurement unit; It consists of a display unit 7 for displaying the data analyzed by the analysis unit numerically.

The skin component measuring device measures a capacitance value by applying a voltage to the first and second electrodes of the skin contact electrode at the voltage, current and frequency generator and the measurement unit, and analyzes the measured value in the analyzer. That is, when a voltage is applied after the electrode electrode for skin contact is in contact with the skin, a capacitance value is measured between the first and second electrodes. The capacitance value depends on the moisture present in the skin, and the analysis unit can know the amount of moisture by the capacitance value.

Therefore, the skin component measuring apparatus according to the prior art can measure the moisture only when the electrical signal is applied directly to the skin, thereby causing damage or deformation of the skin.

In addition, these devices have values detected by applying different frequencies, and may analyze not only skin moisture content information, but also milk fat and other protein components by algorithmic analysis in an 8-bit central processing unit. However, even if the electrical frequency characteristics are used, in order to distinguish and quantify the intrinsic characteristics of the selected components, it is necessary to place a great weight on the analysis algorithm development along with the performance of the hardware, thereby increasing the production cost and the unit price. In addition, it has the disadvantage that it is not possible to analyze several skin components at the same time.

Accordingly, the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, the skin damage by using the characteristic that the light incident on the photoconductive medium having a larger refractive index than the skin component and the core form of the optical fiber is totally reflected at a critical angle or more It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method capable of simultaneously quantitating various skin components without modification or modification.

The object of the present invention is a plurality of photoconductive media having a refractive index that is greater than the refractive index of the air and less than the refractive index of the skin; Light emitting parts and light receiving parts located on both sides of the plurality of photoconductive media; And a skin component measuring device using total reflection of light including a measuring unit positioned at a portion of the plurality of photoconductive media.

In addition, the object of the present invention is a light emitting unit for emitting light in response to the electrical signal; The light emitted from the light emitting part is incident on one side of each of the plurality of photoconductive media; Proceeding to the skin component measuring unit only the light totally reflected from the incident light; The light moved to the measurement unit is totally reflected by the skin component of the lower surface; Leaving the photoconductive medium while repeating the total reflection at the top and bottom surfaces; And it is achieved by the skin component measuring method using the total reflection of the light consisting of a step in which the light out of the photoconductive medium is incident to the light receiving portion.

Details of the above object and technical configuration of the present invention and the effects thereof according to the present invention will be more clearly understood by the following detailed description with reference to the drawings showing preferred embodiments of the present invention.

First, before describing the operation of the present invention, the total reflection characteristics of the light will be briefly described as follows.

For the refraction of ordinary waves, including light, Snell's law defines: When a wave enters and refracts from an isotropic medium to another isotropic medium, the incident surface (surface containing the direction of the incident wave and the normal of the interface) and the refracting surface (including the direction of the refractive wave and the normal of the interface) Plane) are in the same plane, and if the angle of incidence is i and the angle of refraction is r , the relationship sin i / sin r = n (constant) is established. Here n is called relative refractive index.

2A and 2B are diagrams showing the refraction of light according to Snell's law, and part of the light is refracted at a predetermined angle when light is incident 10 at the interface 13 of the medium having different refractive indices. (11) proceeds, but some show the phenomenon of reflection 13 at the interface. More specifically, when light is incident with an angle of incidence of θ ₁ from a medium having a refractive index of n ₁ to a medium having a refractive index of n ₂ , if n ₁ is greater than n ₂ (n ₁ > n ₂ ), the angle of refraction (θ ₂ ) Is smaller than the incident angle θ ₁ . On the other hand, if n ₂ is larger than n ₁ (n ₂ > n ₁ ), the refraction angle θ ₂ becomes larger than the incident angle θ ₁ . Here, the angle of incidence and the angle of incidence are angles formed with the normal line 14 drawn at the point where the incident light or the refracted light meets the interface.

2C is a diagram illustrating a total reflection phenomenon of light. When light is incident from the n ₁ medium having a large refractive index to the n ₂ medium having a small refractive index, increasing the incident angle gradually increases the angle of incidence to eventually reach 90 degrees. The incident angle at this time is referred to as the critical total reflection angle θ _c . That is, the light incident at the critical total reflection angle is refracted to travel 15 along the interface between the n ₁ medium and the n ₂ medium. In addition, when the incident angle becomes larger than the critical total reflection angle, the flexural angle becomes 90 degrees or more, so that all light incident from the medium having a large refractive index into the small medium is totally reflected.

3 is a schematic diagram of a skin component measuring apparatus according to the present invention. More specifically, the skin component measuring apparatus using the above-described total reflection characteristics of the light, the light of a predetermined wavelength is incident on the plurality of photoconductive medium 32 in close contact with the skin surface 33 and having the form of an optical fiber core, When light meets certain skin components, the light is totally reflected. The skin component measuring apparatus of the present invention is composed of a plurality of photoconductive media having different refractive indices, but in the following description, one photoconductive medium has been described as an example as shown in FIG. 3B for easy understanding. Hereinafter, the skin component measuring method will be described step by step.

First, the light emitting part 31 is positioned above the photoconductive medium and separated from the photoconductive medium. The light emitting portion uses a light source having a wavelength band in the near infrared region, and the light emitted from the light emitting portion is emitted in an arbitrary direction and is incident on the photoconductive medium 32.

The reference number / light emitting unit 34 is positioned between the light emitting unit and the light receiving element 30 to be described later. The reference receiver / light emitting unit is installed for the purpose of correcting the optical signal finally obtained by the light receiver. That is, since the skin conditions such as skin color, pore size, and the number of hairs differ from person to person, the amount of light signals totally reflected from the photoconductive medium will vary from person to person. However, the result obtained from the light-receiving device is not affected by the skin condition of the person, and only the skin components to be measured should be measured. Therefore, the skin condition is measured at the same time to correct the result obtained from the light-receiving device. The reference water / light emitting part is spaced apart (not shown) by a predetermined distance, and the light emitting part is composed of a red light emitting diode (LED). Light incident at a predetermined angle θ at the reference light emitting part is reflected directly to the skin and then returns to the light receiving part. At this time, the optical signal reflected from the skin is converted into an electrical signal in the reference light receiver. The amount of this electrical signal is reflected in the skin condition of each person, and it is corrected by applying it to the result obtained from the light receiving unit. Preferably, the incident light has an incident angle of about 3 to 4 degrees.

The photoconductive medium 32 is a polymer material in the form of an optical fiber core having a predetermined index of refraction and diameter, and includes a measuring part in contact with the skin 33. The photoconductive medium is also a path in which only totally reflected light travels. Therefore, the light incident on the photoconductive medium with an arbitrary angle of incidence is totally reflected by only the light having an angle of incidence above the total reflection critical angle according to Snell's law, and the rest is refracted again to exit the photoconductive medium. Meanwhile, in order for the totally reflected light to continue to be totally reflected in the photoconductive medium, the refractive index of the photoconductive medium must be larger than that of air. After that, only the totally reflected light travels through the photoconductive medium to reach the skin component measuring unit.

In the skin component measuring unit where the photoconductive medium is in contact with the skin, the lower surface is in contact with the skin or the skin component. The photoconductive medium should be comprised of a medium that is larger than 1, the refractive index of air, and less than 1.7, the refractive index of skin. In addition, since the skin component must be totally reflected, it must have a larger refractive index than the skin component. Therefore, the medium or component of the photoconductive medium should select a medium larger than the refractive index of the skin component within the refractive index range of air and skin. As described above, the condition under which total reflection of the light is made should be larger than the refractive index of the region where the light is incident, and the refractive index of the region where the light is refracted. For example, albumin, one of the skin components, has a refractive index of 1.37, so the photoconductive medium should be made of a material having a refractive index of at least 1.38 and less than 1.7.

However, the total amount of incident light is also reflected by all skin components having a lower refractive index than the albumin material, so that the exact components and amounts thereof cannot be known. Thus, another feature of the present invention is the use of a plurality of photoconductive media having different refractive indices. That is, a photoconductive medium having a refractive index smaller than 1.37 of the albumin is further provided to measure skin components having a refractive index of less than 1.37. Thereafter, when the overlapped portions are removed by comparing the optical signals obtained from the photoconductive medium having the large refractive index and the photoconductors having the small refractive index, the albumin having the refractive index of 1.37 can be quantitatively analyzed. In other words, two photoconductive media are formed in a pair and used for skin component analysis.

As described above, by using another photoconductive medium to analyze one skin component, various skin components having different refractive indices can be analyzed simultaneously. First, representative components present on the skin surface and their refractive indices are as follows. The refractive index of water, which accounts for more than 90%, is 1.33, and a small amount of less than 1% includes collagen (n = 1.46, n is refractive index), elastin (n = 1.27), melanin (n = 1.65) and albumin ( n = 1.37). In this case, the refractive indices of the plurality of photoconductive media are referred to as a, b, c, d, and e, and are arranged in order of increasing refractive index such as a> 1.65> b> 1.46> c> 1.37> d> 1.33> e> 1.27. . When the photoconductive media is arranged in the order as described above, all the photoconductors having a refractive index of less than 1.65 are totally reflected in the photoconductive medium having a refractive index of a, and all refractive indexes of 1.46 or less are used in the photoconductive medium having a refractive index of b. By total reflection at the skin component, the optical signal obtained from the photoconductive medium of the refractive index a and the optical signal obtained from the photoconductive medium of the refractive index b are eliminated to eliminate the overlapping portion, so that only melanin components having a refractive index of 1.65 can be measured. do. In this way, collagen components having a refractive index of 1.46 can also be measured by canceling the optical signal obtained in c from the optical signal obtained in b. The skin component measurement can be performed simultaneously or continuously according to the structure of the light receiving element.

Here, quantitative analysis of each skin component is possible with the following principle. The light reaching the skin component measuring unit is totally reflected on all skin components having a value smaller than the refractive index of the photoconductive medium and then totally reflected at the upper surface of the photoconductive medium. This is because the upper surface of the photoconductive medium is in contact with air and the refractive index of the air has a value of about one. After total reflection at the top surface of the photoconductive medium, it is directed back to the bottom surface. At this time, if the skin component that caused the total reflection is not present at a distance that has been totally reflected, the light is not totally reflected but refracted and enters into the skin. This is because the refractive index of the skin is 1.7, which is larger than the refractive index of the photoconductive medium. That is, since the intensity of the optical signal increases as more light reaches the light-receiving portion without refracting incident to the skin and disappearing, the intensity of the optical signal can be calculated and quantitatively analyzed. In addition, as the number of total reflection of light in the photoconductive medium increases, the accuracy of component analysis or quantitative analysis increases. This is possible by reducing the diameter of the photoconductive medium in the form of an optical fiber core. In addition, by reducing the diameter of the photoconductive medium, the length thereof can be made small and thus the contact area with the skin can be minimized.

The light that is totally reflected and moved by the skin component measuring unit of the photoconductive medium exits to one side of the photoconductive medium and is incident to the light receiving device 30. The optical signal incident on the light receiving element is converted into an electrical signal and used for quantitative analysis, and is preferably composed of a photodiode.

In this case, the light receiving element may be composed of one single element, or may be composed of individual single elements connected to each of the plurality of photoconductive media. In addition, the individual single devices may adopt a 1D array structure consisting of a plurality of devices on a single substrate. Depending on the structure or arrangement of the light receiving device, it is possible to determine the simultaneous measurement of various skin components. In other words, when a single element or a 1D array structure is connected to each of the plurality of photoconductive media, the optical signals of the devices are separated and analyzed, thereby enabling simultaneous measurement. However, when a single device structure is adopted, simultaneous measurement cannot be performed because the optical signal incident from each photoconductive medium cannot be separated. Therefore, an optical switch is provided between the light emitting unit and the photoconductive medium to sequentially enter light into each photoconductive medium for analysis. In other words, the simultaneous analysis is not possible, but continuous analysis is possible.

It will be apparent that changes and modifications incorporating features of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art by the invention described in detail. It is intended that the scope of such modifications of the invention be within the scope of those of ordinary skill in the art including the features of the invention, and such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the claims of the invention.

Therefore, the skin component measuring apparatus and method using the total reflection of the light of the present invention is a skin damage or deformation by using the characteristic that the light incident on the photoconductive medium having a refractive index larger than the skin component and the core form of the optical fiber is totally reflected above the critical angle There is an effect that can simultaneously quantitatively analyze various skin components.

Claims (10)

In skin component measuring device A plurality of photoconductive media having a refractive index greater than the refractive index of air and less than the refractive index of the skin and in contact with the skin and in the form of an optical fiber core; Light emitting parts and light receiving parts located on both sides of the plurality of photoconductive media; And A reference light / receiving unit positioned between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit Skin component measuring device using a total reflection of light, characterized in that made. The method of claim 1, An apparatus for measuring skin components using total reflection of light, characterized by further comprising an optical switch positioned between each of the light emitting unit and the plurality of photoconductive media. The method of claim 1, The plurality of photoconductive medium is a skin component measuring device using the total reflection of light, characterized in that spaced apart from each other. The method of claim 1, The plurality of photoconductive medium is a skin component measuring device using the total reflection of light, characterized in that each of the refractive index is made of a polymer material. The method of claim 1, The plurality of photoconductive medium is a skin component measuring device using a total reflection of light, characterized in that the refractive index of the skin component to be measured in the refractive index range of air and skin larger than. The method of claim 1, The light-receiving unit is a skin component measuring device using total reflection of light, characterized in that consisting of a single device, a plurality of single devices or a plurality of single devices of a 1D array structure. In the method of measuring skin components Receiving light and emitting light from the light emitting unit; The light emitted from the light emitting part is incident on one side of each of the plurality of photoconductive media having the form of an optical fiber core; Proceeding to the skin component measuring unit only the light totally reflected from the incident light; The light moved to the measuring unit is totally reflected by the skin component of the lower surface; Leaving the photoconductive medium while repeating the total reflection at the top and bottom surfaces; And Wherein the light from the photoconductive medium is incident to the light receiving unit Skin component measurement method using the total reflection of light, characterized in that the made. The method of claim 7, wherein Receiving an electrical signal to emit light from the reference light emitting unit; The light emitted from the reference light emitting part reaches the skin; The light reaching the skin is reflected and incident to the reference light receiver; And Correcting the converted electric signal from a difference between the light emitted from the reference light emitter and an optical signal incident to the reference light receiver. Skin component measurement method using the total reflection of light, characterized in that made further comprising. The method of claim 8, The light emitted from the reference light emitting unit is a skin component measuring method using the total reflection of the light, characterized in that the incident at an angle of 3 to 4 degrees. The method of claim 7, wherein The plurality of photoconductive media has a skin component measurement method using the total reflection of light, characterized in that it has a refractive index larger than the refractive index of the skin component to be measured in the refractive index range of air and skin.

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