Optical sensor and method for identifying the presence of skin

A skin sensor comprising,

• a housing having an aperture configured to be placed against a surface being queried;
• a broad-band radiation source contained within said housing and positioned to emit radiation through said aperture;
• three or more detectors inside said housing, each responsive to a distinct wavelength band and positioned to receive radiation remitted by said surface being queried;
• a control circuit to power said radiation source;
• said control circuit further measuring the remitted radiation for each said distinct wavelength band to determine a spectral remittance of said surface being queried;
• said control circuit further comparing the spectral remittance of said surface being queried to a reference spectral remittance for skin;
• and
• said control circuit providing an indication when the spectral remittance of said surface being queried is substantially the same as the reference spectral remittance.

A dermatological treatment device comprising,

• a housing having a treatment aperture configured to be placed against a surface;
• a source of therapeutic radiation contained within said housing and positioned to emit therapeutic radiation through said aperture;
• a skin sensor including
• a source inside said housing and positioned to emit sensing radiation in three or more distinct wavelength bands through a sensor aperture and onto said surface so that sensing radiation is remitted by the surface;
• a detector inside said housing positioned to receive the sensing radiation remitted by said surface;
• a control circuit to power said source so that the sensing radiation from each of the three or more distinct wavelength bands is emitted at distinct times;
• said control circuit further measuring the remitted sensing radiation for each said three or more distinct wavelength bands to obtain a spectral remittance of said surface;
• said control circuit further comparing the spectral remittance of the surface to a reference spectral remittance previously determined for skin;
• and
• said control circuit providing an indication when the spectral remittance of the surface is substantially the same as the reference spectral remittance.

A dermatological treatment device comprising,

• a housing having a treatment aperture configured to be placed against a surface;
• a source of therapeutic radiation contained within said housing and positioned to emit therapeutic radiation through said treatment aperture;
• a broad-band radiation source contained within said housing and positioned to emit sensing radiation through a sensor aperture and onto said surface;
• three or more detectors inside said housing, each responsive to a distinct wavelength band and positioned to receive sensing radiation remitted by said surface;
• a control circuit to power said radiation source;
• said control circuit further measuring the remitted sensing radiation for each said distinct wavelength band to determine the spectral remittance of said surface;
• said control circuit further comparing the spectral remittance of said surface to a reference spectral remittance for skin;
• and
• said control circuit providing an indication when the spectral remittance of said surface is substantially the same as the reference spectral remittance.

A dermatological treatment device comprising

• a housing having a treatment aperture configured to be placed against a surface;
• a source of treatment radiation contained within said housing and positioned to produce a fluence through said treatment aperture sufficient for at least temporary inhibition of the regrowth of unwanted hair;
• and
• a skin sensor responsive to sensing radiation remitted from the surface and which inhibits delivery of treatment radiation if skin sensor detects the absence of skin.

A dermatological treatment device used for the treatment of unwanted hair comprising,

• a light source within a housing;
• an electrical circuit including one or more batteries within the housing for energizing the light source to produce output light pulses;
• a light path within the housing including an aperture through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated out of the housing having properties sufficient for at least temporary hair-regrowth inhibition;
• and
• a skin sensor which inhibits the operation of the light source when an absence of skin at the aperture is detected by the skin sensor;
• wherein the dermatological treatment apparatus has a total weight of no more than 1 kilogram, and occupies no more than 1500 cm3 of volume;
• and
• whereby in use, the dermatologic treatment apparatus produces a fluence on an epidermis of a subject undergoing treatment that is sufficient to at least temporarily inhibit hair regrowth and that has an integrated radiance insufficient to cause eye damage.

A dermatological treatment device used for the treatment of unwanted hair comprising,

• a light source within a housing;
• an electrical circuit including one or more batteries within the housing for energizing the light source to produce output light pulses;
• a light path within the housing including a treatment aperture through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated out of the housing having properties sufficient for at least temporary hair-regrowth inhibition;
• and
• a skin sensor which inhibits the operation of the light source when an absence of skin at the treatment aperture is detected by the skin sensor including
• a source inside said housing and positioned to emit sensing radiation in three or more distinct wavelength bands through a sensor aperture and onto a surface positioned opposite the treatment aperture so that sensing radiation is remitted by the surface;
• a detector inside said housing positioned to receive the sensing radiation remitted by said surface;
• a control circuit to power said source so that the sensing radiation from each of the three or more distinct wavelength bands is emitted at distinct times;
• said control circuit further measuring the remitted sensing radiation for each said three or more distinct wavelength bands to obtain a spectral remittance of said surface;
• said control circuit further comparing the spectral remittance of the surface to a reference spectral remittance previously determined for skin;
• and
• said control circuit inhibiting the light source when the spectral remittance of the surface is not substantially the same as the reference spectral remittance;
• and
• wherein the dermatological treatment apparatus has a total weight of no more than 1 kilogram, and occupies no more than 1500 cm3 of volume;
• and
• whereby in use, the dermatologic treatment apparatus produces a fluence on an epidermis of a subject undergoing treatment that is sufficient to at least temporarily inhibit hair regrowth and that has an integrated radiance insufficient to cause eye damage.

A dermatological treatment device comprising

• a housing having a treatment aperture configured to be placed against a surface;
• a source of treatment radiation contained within said housing and positioned to emit light through said treatment aperture at a level and duration sufficient for the treatment of acne;
• and
• a skin sensor responsive to sensing radiation remitted from the surface and which inhibits delivery of treatment radiation if skin sensor detects the absence of skin.

A dermatological treatment device used for the treatment of acne comprising,

• a skin sensor;
• a light source producing light primarily in a wavelength band of 400 to 450 nm;
• and
• an output window through which the light is emitted and which is configured to contact an epidermis of a subject undergoing treatment when the light is emitted through the output window;
• and
• wherein the light has an intensity of at least 100 mW/cm2 at an emitting surface of the output window;
• and
• further wherein heat conduction through the output window is such that a temperature rise produced in the epidermis by the light is reduced by the contact between the epidermis and the output window, and light emission from the light source is inhibited when the skin sensor indicates an absence of skin at the output window.

A dermatological treatment device used for the treatment of acne comprising,

• a skin sensor including
• a source inside said housing and positioned to emit sensing radiation in three or more distinct wavelength bands through a sensor aperture and onto a surface positioned opposite an output window so that sensing radiation is remitted by the surface;
• a detector inside said housing positioned to receive the sensing radiation remitted by said surface;
• a control circuit to power said source so that the sensing radiation from each of the three or more distinct wavelength bands is emitted at distinct times;
• said control circuit further measuring the remitted sensing radiation for each said three or more distinct wavelength bands to obtain a spectral remittance of said surface;
• said control circuit further comparing the spectral remittance of the surface to a reference spectral remittance previously determined for skin;
• and
• said control circuit indicating an absence of skin when the spectral remittance of the surface is not substantially the same as the reference spectral remittance;
• and
• a light source producing light primarily in a wavelength band of 400 to 450 nm and which is emitted through the output window, wherein the output window is configured to contact an epidermis of a subject undergoing treatment when the light is emitted through the output window;
• and
• wherein the light has an intensity of at least 100 mW/cm2 at an emitting surface of the output window;
• and
• further wherein heat conduction through the output window is such that a temperature rise produced in the epidermis by the light is reduced by the contact between the epidermis and the output window, and light emission from the light source is inhibited when the skin sensor indicates an absence of skin at the output window.

A dermatological treatment device comprising

• a housing having a treatment aperture configured to be placed against a surface;
• a source of treatment radiation contained within said housing and positioned to emit a fluence through said aperture sufficient for the repigmentation of skin;
• and
• a skin sensor responsive to sensing radiation remitted from the surface and which inhibits delivery of treatment radiation if skin sensor detects the absence of skin.

A dermatological treatment device used for repigmenting skin comprising,

• a housing configured for handheld manipulation;
• one or more electrical batteries within the housing;
• a light source in the housing producing light primarily in a wavelength band of 320 to 399 nm;
• and
• an output window through which the light is emitted from the housing and which is configured to contact an epidermis of a subject undergoing treatment when the light is emitted through the output window, wherein the light has a spot size at the output window in the range of 0.01 to 0.5 cm2;
• and
• a skin sensor coupled to inhibit the light source when the skin sensor indicates an absence of skin.

A method for detecting the presence of skin, comprising the steps of

• emitting radiation onto a surface being queried;
• receiving radiation remitted by said surface being queried;
• measuring the remitted radiation in three or more distinct wavelength bands to determine a spectral remittance of said surface being queried;
• comparing the spectral remittance of said surface being queried to a reference spectral remittance for skin;
• and
• indicating if the spectral remittance of said surface being queried is substantially the same as the reference spectral remittance.

A skin sensor comprising,

• a radiation source positioned to emit modulated radiation in three or more distinct wavelength bands through said aperture and onto said surface being sensed so that radiation is remitted by the surface being sensed;
• a detector positioned to receive the radiation remitted by said surface being sensed;
• a control circuit to power said radiation source so that modulated radiation from each of the three or more distinct wavelength bands is emitted at distinct times;
• said control circuit further detecting and measuring the remitted modulated radiation for each said three or more distinct wavelength bands to obtain a spectral remittance of said surface being sensed;
• said control circuit further comparing the spectral remittance of the surface being sensed to a reference spectral remittance previously determined for skin;
• said control circuit providing an indication when the spectral remittance of the surface being sensed is substantially the same as the reference spectral remittance.