Back to results
US 2009/0213379 A1Published application
Skin color matching method and system
OwnerCharles Conrad Carroll, Trevor Cowardinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
OwnerCharles Conrad Carroll, Trevor Cowardinventors
Estimating the term…
A first method for matching skin colors comprises measuring a spectral reflectance curve of an area of skin and determining a blend of pigments to match the skin's color by combining spectral reflectance curves measured for pigments to produce a calculated spectral reflectance curve corresponding to that of the skin. The pigment blend is then used, for example, to pigment a medical prosthesis, so that it matches precisely its wearer's skin. This method avoids the problem of metamerism in which colors that match under a first illumination no longer match under a second illumination. A second method uses a database of pigment blends generated by the first method. The color of an area of skin is measured and a pigment blend is selected from the database that provides a closest match. Apparatus for carrying out such color matching is also provided, together with palettes of suitable pigments for skin color matching.
A method of matching a skin color comprising the steps of providing color measuring means adapted to measure a first spectral reflectance curve of an area of skin to be matched, providing colorant database means containing a plurality of colorant spectral reflectance curves each for a respective one of a plurality of colorant means, measuring a first spectral reflectance curve for a selected area of skin, comparing said first spectral reflectance curve to said colorant spectral reflectance curves and determining a recommended blend of colorant means chosen from the colorant database means, said recommended blend having a calculated spectral reflectance curve substantially corresponding to the measured first spectral reflectance curve for the selected area of skin.
Apparatus for matching skin color comprising color measurement means adapted to measure a first spectral reflectance curve for a selected area of skin and operatively linked to first computing means, the first computing means being connected to colorant database means containing a plurality of reference spectral reflectance curves each for a respective one of a plurality of colorant means, wherein the computing means is programmed to determine a recommended blend of colorant means by combining colorant reference spectral reflectance curves substantially to match a first spectral reflectance curve of the selected area of skin.
A palette of pigments for use in matching skin colors, comprising a white pigment, a first substantially yellow pigment, a first substantially red pigment, a cold-toned pigment and at least one balancing pigment.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.