KR102418099B1 - System and Method for measuring Corneous Characteristics - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for measuring keratin characteristics, and an apparatus for measuring keratin characteristics according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an image capturing unit for capturing an image of a target skin, in the captured image of the target skin, in the target skin an image processing unit dividing a first region corresponding to the skin region from a second region having a change in reflectivity compared to the skin region; do.

Description

Apparatus and method for measuring Corneous Characteristics {System and Method for measuring Corneous Characteristics}

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for measuring keratin characteristics, and to an apparatus and method for quantifying and providing keratin characteristics of skin.

Keratin is a type of structural protein and is a major component of epithelial cells of skin, hair, and nails. There are keratin in various areas. The keratin properties were evaluated by visually how cracked the target skin was, or measured by the amount of keratin through an adhesive collection sheet.

Specifically, a method was used in which a stratum corneum collection sheet having adhesiveness was attached to the target skin, the stratum corneum was attached to the adhesive surface of the collection sheet, the collection sheet was photographed with an imaging device, and the keratin was quantitatively measured using image luminance. . 1 is a graph showing the amount of keratin of each part of the skin measured according to the prior art.

However, in areas with a thick epidermis and a large number of cell layers, such as the heel, the dead skin cells are thickly formed and strongly bonded, so even if the adhesive collection sheet is attached, the dead skin cells do not adhere to the collection sheet. there was Referring to FIG. 1 , in the case of the heel, the amount of dead skin cells is higher than that of other parts, but there is a problem in that the amount of dead skin cells is small when the adhesive collection sheet is used.

US 8360973 B2

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and to provide an apparatus for measuring keratin characteristics and a method for measuring keratin characteristics, which can provide reliable and accurate values of keratin characteristics.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for measuring keratin properties and a method for measuring keratin properties, which can accurately measure the amount of dead skin cells even in areas where dead skin cells are thickly formed, such as the heel.

An apparatus for measuring keratin characteristics according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an image capturing unit for capturing an image of a target skin, a first area corresponding to a skin area in the target skin in the captured image of the target skin, and the skin area and an image processing unit for dividing a second region whose reflectivity has changed compared to , and a keratin characteristic calculating unit for calculating keratin characteristics based on the area of the second region.

The image capturing unit may be an enlarged image capturing unit that magnifies and captures the target skin by optical or electrical means.

The magnified image photographing unit may output an magnified image of 50 times or more of the target skin.

The image processing unit may further include an image extractor configured to extract an image of a second area having a higher reflectivity than the first area from the photographed image of the target skin.

The method may further include a pixel image converter that converts the extracted image of the second region into pixel images of two colors.

The keratin property calculator may calculate the amount of keratin as a sum of the areas of the second region within a preset area or within a unit area.

The image capturing unit may apply one or more of a color filter, a polarizing filter, and an anti-reflection filter to the image of the target skin to be photographed.

A method for measuring keratin characteristics according to another embodiment of the present invention includes an image capturing step of capturing an image of a target skin, a first region corresponding to the skin region in the target skin in the captured image of the target skin, and the skin region and an image processing step of dividing a second area whose reflectivity has changed compared to , and a keratin property calculation step of calculating the keratin property based on the area of the second area.

In the image capturing step, an enlarged image of the target skin may be captured.

The image processing step includes extracting an image of a second region having a higher reflectivity than the first region from the photographed target skin image, and converting the extracted image of the second region into a pixel image of two colors. may include

In the calculating of the keratin properties, the amount of keratin may be calculated as a sum of the areas of the second region within a predetermined area or within a unit area.

The target skin may be any one of a heel, an elbow, a scalp, and a knee.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an apparatus for measuring keratin characteristics and a method for measuring keratin characteristics, which can provide reliable and accurate values of keratin characteristics.

In addition, it is possible to provide an apparatus for measuring keratin properties and a method for measuring keratin properties, which can accurately measure the amount of dead skin cells even in a site where keratin is thickly formed, such as a heel.

1 is a graph showing the amount of keratin of each part of the skin measured according to the prior art.
2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an apparatus for measuring keratin characteristics according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an apparatus for measuring keratin characteristics according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method for measuring keratin characteristics according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method for measuring keratin characteristics according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a photograph showing a photographed image (a) of a heel with less keratin and a pixel image (b) in which the second area is extracted and converted into a black-and-white image.
7 is a photograph showing a photographed image (a) of a heel with a lot of dead skin cells and a pixel image (b) in which the second area is extracted and converted into a black-and-white image.
8 is a photograph showing the taken images of the heel divided into 6 stages of dryness grade according to the keratin state of the heel.
9 is a graph showing the amount of keratin (a) measured according to the prior art and the amount of keratin (b) measured according to an embodiment of the present invention for heels divided into six steps.

Since the present embodiments can apply various transformations and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings to be described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the scope of the specific embodiments, and it should be understood to include all transformations, equivalents and substitutions included in the spirit and scope of the disclosure. In describing the embodiments, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the subject matter, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In an embodiment, a 'module' or 'unit' performs at least one function or operation, and may be implemented as hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. In addition, a plurality of 'modules' or a plurality of 'units' are integrated into at least one module and implemented with at least one processor (not shown) except for 'modules' or 'units' that need to be implemented with specific hardware. can be

Hereinafter, the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and in the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and the overlapping description thereof will be omitted.

2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an apparatus for measuring keratin characteristics according to an embodiment of the present invention.

An apparatus for measuring keratin characteristics according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an image capturing unit 10 for capturing an image of a target skin, a first region corresponding to a skin region in the target skin in the captured image of the target skin; and an image processing unit 20 that divides a second region whose reflectivity is changed compared to the skin region, and a keratin characteristic calculator 30 that calculates keratin characteristics based on the area of the second region.

The image capturing unit 10 is for capturing an image of the target skin, and various image capturing apparatuses that can be used in the art may be used for this.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the image capturing unit 10 may be an enlarged image capturing unit 11 that enlarges and captures the target skin by optical or electrical means.

Specifically, the magnified image photographing unit 11 may output an magnified image of 50 times or more of the target skin. In the case of an image of less than 50 times, an image magnified by 50 times or more may be used because the difference in reflectivity between the keratinous region and the skin region is not clearly distinguished.

According to an embodiment, the image capturing unit 10 or the magnified image capturing unit 11 may be Aramo SG of Aram Huvis, and may be formed to capture and output an image magnified by 60 times with respect to the heel. .

As the target skin, various parts where keratin is formed, such as a face, a trunk, an arm, and a leg, may be measured. In the case of the present invention, it can be used to measure the keratin of any one of the heel, elbow, scalp, and knee where the keratin is formed thicker than other parts.

The image processing unit 20 may divide and process the target skin into a first region corresponding to the skin region and a second region having a change in reflectivity compared to the skin region.

In the case of an area where the keratin is developed thickly, the reflectance to light changes and appears brighter compared to the skin area. Therefore, the amount of dead skin can be measured by extracting the part with the change in reflectivity to light from the photographed image.

On the other hand, the image capturing unit 10, in order to accurately distinguish a change in reflectivity with respect to the photographed image, one or more of a color filter, a polarizing filter, and an anti-reflection filter (eg, a cross filter) on the image of the target skin to be photographed. can be applied. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the reflective region from being formed in the skin region where the keratin is not formed, thereby preventing an error in the keratin characteristic value.

3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an apparatus for measuring keratin characteristics according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The image processing unit 20 extracts an image of a bright area from the photographed target skin image, converts the extracted image into two contrasting colors, for example, a black and white image, and the keratin characteristic calculation unit 30 By summing the areas of the bright areas in the transformed image, it is possible to provide quantitative data on the amount of keratin.

Specifically, the image processing unit 20 may include an image extraction unit 21 that extracts an image of a second area having a higher reflectivity than the first area from the photographed image of the target skin. Since the keratin region appears brighter than the skin region, the keratin characteristic may be calculated by extracting an image of the second region having a higher reflectivity than the first region.

For example, when the image extractor 21 is implemented on the image pro, the threshold may be set to a value between 130 and 150, or approximately 140. The threshold value within the above-described range may be set to extract only the image of the second area that is brighter than the skin area.

The image processing unit 20 may further include a pixel image converting unit 23 that converts the extracted image of the second region into pixel images of two colors. A pixel image may be converted to facilitate the calculation of keratin characteristics, and a pixel image of two contrasting colors, for example, black and white, may be converted to clearly distinguish the second region.

The keratin characteristic calculator 30 may calculate the keratin characteristic based on the area of the second region. A quantified keratin mass may be calculated by providing an image confirming the area of the second region or calculating the sum of the areas of the second region within a preset area or within a unit area.

For example, when the extracted pixel image is used, the amount of keratin may be calculated as a sum of pixel values of the second region within a preset area or within a unit area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the image processing unit 20 and the keratin characteristic calculating unit 30 process an image and a series of data processing for calculating a keratin characteristic value, for example, Image Pro. It can be implemented using a macro function, and can be set to be continuously executed through a macro function.

The amount of keratin may be provided through the area of the second region corresponding to the region where the keratin is formed or the sum of pixel values of the second region. Unlike using a conventional collection sheet, it is possible to provide a keratin property value only from an image without contacting or exfoliating the target skin.

Accordingly, even in the case of a region where keratin is thickly formed, measurement errors can be prevented from occurring because they are not separated, and in the end, it is possible to provide an accurate keratin property value without being affected by the condition of the target skin site or the state of the keratin. can

4 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method for measuring keratin characteristics according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The method for measuring keratin characteristics according to an embodiment of the present invention may be measured by the above-described keratin characteristics apparatus, and the characteristics of the keratin characteristics measuring apparatus may be applied to the method for measuring keratin characteristics. Likewise, it goes without saying that the characteristics related to the method for measuring keratin characteristics may also be applied to the apparatus for measuring keratin characteristics.

The method for measuring keratin characteristics according to another embodiment of the present invention includes an image capturing step of capturing an image of a target skin (S10), a first region corresponding to the skin region in the target skin in the captured image of the target skin; and an image processing step (S20) of dividing a second region whose reflectivity has changed compared to the skin region, and a keratinization characteristic calculation step (S30) of calculating the keratin characteristic through the area of the second region.

An image of the target skin is taken and divided into a first area corresponding to the skin area and a second area, which is a bright area where keratin is formed and appears brighter than a general skin area, and provides the area of the second area as an image, or Through the sum, it is possible to provide quantitative keratin mass data.

5 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method for measuring keratin characteristics according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In the image capturing step (S10), an enlarged image of the target skin may be captured. In order to clearly distinguish the reflectivity of the target skin region, an image magnified by 50 times or more can be taken and used.

The image processing step (S20) includes extracting an image of a second region having a higher reflectivity than the first region from the photographed image of the target skin (S21), and converting the extracted image of the second region into two colors. It may include converting to a pixel image of (S23).

Accordingly, an image of the second region having a predetermined reflectivity, that is, having a higher reflectivity than the first region, is extracted, and the image of the second region corresponding to the extracted keratin region is converted into pixel images of different colors. It can be used to calculate a keratin property value.

Specifically, in the keratin characteristic calculation step S30 , the amount of keratin may be calculated as the sum of the areas of the second region within a preset area or within a unit area. That is, in the case of a pixel image, the amount of dead skin cells may be calculated as the sum of pixels in the second region.

The method for measuring keratin properties according to an embodiment of the present invention may be applied to any one of the heel, elbow, scalp, and knee, but is not limited thereto and may be applied to various areas where the keratin is thickly formed. It is possible to provide reliable and accurate data on the amount of dead skin cells in areas that were difficult to separate with conventional adhesive collection sheets.

For the heel with low keratin and the heel with high keratin, 60 times magnification images were measured using Aramo SG. Here, an enlarged image was taken by applying the polarization filter of mode 3.

Then, using Image Pro, the threshold value of the bright region was set to 140, the image of the keratin region (the second region) was extracted, and the image was converted into a black-and-white pixel image.

Here, a pixel image in which the first area is black and the second area is white is converted into a pixel image.

In addition, images for confirming the keratin characteristics through the area of the second region were provided as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 .

6 is a photograph showing a photographed image (a) of a heel with less keratin and a pixel image (b) in which the second area is extracted and converted into a black-and-white image.

7 is a photograph showing a photographed image (a) of a heel with a lot of dead skin cells and a pixel image (b) in which the second area is extracted and converted into a black-and-white image.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 , it can be seen that in the captured image, the keratin region is brighter and whiter than the skin region.

And, in the pixel image in which only the second region was extracted and converted to black and white, the distribution of the keratin region could be confirmed through the area distribution of the white region, that is, the second region. That is, it could be confirmed that the area of the white area was small in the area with few dead skin cells in FIG. 6 , but the area of the white area was wide in the area in FIG. 7 with many dead skin cells.

8 is a photograph showing the taken images of the heel divided into 6 stages according to the dryness of the heel.

As shown in FIG. 8 , depending on the keratin condition of the heel, when no keratin or cracking of the sole was observed, it was classified as 0 grade, and it was classified into grades 1 to 5 according to the degree of appearance of keratin. In grades 1 and 2, there was little keratin or cracking, in grades 4 and 5, a lot of keratin or cracking, and in grade 3, moderate keratin or cracking.

A total of 150 people were visually evaluated and graded, and the number of people by grade is as shown in [Table 1] below.

dry grade 0 One 2 3 4 5 personnel 25 39 9 44 23 10

For these, according to the prior art, a sticky sampling sheet (D-squame tape) was attached to the heel, pressed with a press bar, the tape was removed, and the amount of keratin was measured by changing light transmittance. The average keratin mass in each grade was shown as shown in FIG. 9(a).

And, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a 60-fold magnification image was measured using Aramo SG. Here, an enlarged image was taken by applying the polarization filter of mode 3. Then, using Image Pro, the threshold value of the bright region was set to 140, the image of the keratin region (the second region) was extracted, and the image was converted into a black-and-white pixel image. Then, the sum of the pixel values of the second region was calculated as the amount of keratin. Then, the measurement site was moved slightly and repeated three times to calculate the amount of keratin through the average value. The average keratin mass in each grade was shown as shown in FIG. 9(b).

Referring to (a) of FIG. 9 , in the case of the prior art, it was not possible to confirm the change in the amount of dead skin cells as the dryness level increased, ie, increased from 0 grade to 5 grade.

However, referring to (b) of FIG. 9 , according to an embodiment of the present invention, it was confirmed that the amount of keratin gradually increased as the grade 0 to grade 5 increased. That is, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it was confirmed that the amount of keratin can be measured repeatedly, reliably and accurately in the measurement of keratin in a region where the keratin is thickly formed, such as the heel.

10: video recording unit
11: Magnified video recording unit
20: image processing unit
21: image extraction unit
23: pixel image conversion unit
30: keratin characteristic calculation unit

Claims (12)

an image capturing unit for capturing an image of the target skin;
an image processing unit that divides a first region corresponding to the skin region of the target skin and a second region whose reflectivity is changed compared to the skin region in the captured image of the target skin; and
and a keratin characteristic calculator for calculating keratin characteristics based on the area of the second region;
The image processing unit,
and an image extractor configured to extract an image of a second area having a higher reflectivity than the first area from the photographed image of the target skin.
The method of claim 1,
The image capturing unit is an enlarged image capturing unit that magnifies and captures the target skin by optical or electrical means.
3. The method of claim 2,
The magnified image capturing unit, keratin characteristic measuring device, characterized in that outputting an image magnified 50 times or more of the target skin.
delete The method of claim 1,
The apparatus for measuring keratin characteristics, further comprising a pixel image conversion unit that converts the extracted image of the second region into pixel images of two colors.
The method of claim 1,
and the keratin property calculating unit calculates the amount of keratin by a sum of the areas of the second region within a preset area or within a unit area.
The method of claim 1,
The image capturing unit, keratin characteristics measuring device, characterized in that for applying at least one of a color filter, a polarizing filter, and an anti-reflection filter to the image of the target skin to be photographed.
A method for measuring keratin properties, comprising:
An image capturing step of capturing an image of the target skin by the image capturing unit;
an image processing step of dividing, by the image processing unit, a first region corresponding to the skin region of the target skin and a second region having a change in reflectivity compared to the skin region in the captured image of the target skin; and
a keratin characteristic calculating step, wherein the keratin characteristic is calculated through the area of the second region by the keratin characteristic calculating unit;
The image processing step is
A method for measuring keratin properties, comprising extracting an image of a second area having a higher reflectivity than the first area from the photographed image of the target skin.
9. The method of claim 8,
The image capturing step includes taking an enlarged image of the target skin.
9. The method of claim 8,
The image processing step is
The method for measuring keratin characteristics, further comprising converting the extracted image of the second region into a pixel image of two colors.
9. The method of claim 8,
The method for measuring keratin characteristics, characterized in that in the calculating of the keratin characteristics, the amount of keratin is calculated as a sum of the areas of the second region within a predetermined area or within a unit area.
9. The method of claim 8,
The target skin is a method for measuring keratin properties, characterized in that any one of a heel, an elbow, a scalp, and a knee.

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