# US 9,750,449 B2 · Method of assessing skin > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,750,449 B2 - Document ID: US9750449B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/735,188 - Filed: 2003-12-12 - Published: 2005-06-16 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2003-12-12 - Assignees: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. - Applicants: Georgios Stamatas; Nikiforos Kollias - Inventors: Georgios Stamatas; Nikiforos Kollias - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9750449B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/442: {Evaluating skin mechanical properties, e.g. elasticity, hardness, texture, wrinkle assessment} - A61B 5/0071: {by measuring fluorescence emission} - G01N 21/64: Fluorescence; Phosphorescence - G01N 33/5091: {for testing the pathological state of an organism} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract The present invention relates to a method of determining skin health of an area of skin by exposing the area of skin to a first exposure radiation to induce the area of skin to emit a first fluorescent emission, measuring the intensity of the first fluorescent emission, exposing the area of skin to a second exposure radiation to induce the area of skin to emit a second fluorescent emission, measuring the intensity of the second fluorescent emission, calculating a ratio of these intensities, and comparing the ratio to a control ratio. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of treating the skin of a subject and determining the effect of the treatment on the skin of the subject, said method comprising: (i) treating an area of skin with a treatment selected from the group consisting of: cosmetic treatments, pharmaceutical treatments, laser treatment, and abrasive treatment; (ii) exposing the treated area of skin to a first exposure radiation to induce the treated area of skin to emit a first fluorescent emission, wherein the first exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 290 nm to about 300 nm and wherein the treated area of skin was exposed to said treatment; (iii) measuring the intensity of the first fluorescent emission having a wavelength of from about 320 nm to about 350 nm; (iv) exposing the treated area of skin to a second exposure radiation to induce the treated area of skin to emit a second fluorescent emission, wherein the second exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 330 nm to about 420 nm; (v) measuring the intensity of the second fluorescent emission having a wavelength of from about 380 nm to about 470 nm; (vi) calculating a ratio of the intensity measured in step (iii) to the intensity measured in step (v) to cancel the effect of skin pigmentation of the treated area of skin on the fluorescent emissions being measured; (vii) repeating steps (ii) to (vi) for an untreated area of skin, wherein the untreated area of skin was not exposed to said treatment; and (viii) comparing the ratio for the treated area of skin to the ratio for the untreated area of skin; and (ix) determining the effect of the skin treatment based on the compared ratios. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of about 295 nm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein step (iii) comprises measuring the intensity of the first fluorescent emission having a wavelength of about 340 nm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 390 to about 410 nm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the second exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 390 nm to about 410 nm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the second exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 390 nm to about 410 nm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein step (v) comprises measuring the intensity of the second fluorescent emission having a wavelength of about 440 nm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein step (v) comprises measuring the intensity of the second fluorescent emission having a wavelength of about 440 nm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein step (v) comprises measuring the intensity of the second fluorescent emission having a wavelength of about 440 nm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the treated area of skin and the untreated area of skin are the same area of skin and wherein the calculation of the ratio for the untreated area of skin occurs prior to said treatment. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising reporting the effect of the skin treatment based on the compared ratios. ### Claim 12 A method of determining the effect of a treatment performed on the skin of a subject, the treatment selected from the group consisting of: cosmetic treatments, pharmaceutical treatments, laser treatment, and abrasive treatment; said method comprising: (i) exposing the treated area of skin to a first exposure radiation to induce the treated area of skin to emit a first fluorescent emission, wherein the first exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 290 nm to about 300 nm and wherein the treated area of skin was exposed to said treatment; (ii) measuring the intensity of the first fluorescent emission having a wavelength of from about 320 nm to about 350 nm; (iii) exposing the treated area of skin to a second exposure radiation to induce the treated area of skin to emit a second fluorescent emission, wherein the second exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 330 nm to about 420 nm; (iv) measuring the intensity of the second fluorescent emission having a wavelength of from about 380 nm to about 470 nm; (v) calculating a ratio of the intensity measured in step (ii) to the intensity measured in step (iv) to cancel the effect of skin pigmentation on the treated area of skin on the fluorescent emissions being measured; (vi) repeating steps (i) to (v) for an untreated area of skin, wherein the untreated area of skin was not exposed to said treatment; and (vii) comparing the ratio for the treated area of skin to the ratio for the untreated area of skin; and (viii) determining the effect of the skin treatment selected from the group consisting of: cosmetic treatments, pharmaceutical treatments, laser treatment, and abrasive treatment based on the compared ratios. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of about 295 nm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein step (ii) comprises measuring the intensity of the first fluorescent emission having a wavelength of about 340 nm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the second exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 390 to about 410 nm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the second exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 390 nm to about 410 nm. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the second exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 390 nm to about 410 nm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein step (iv) comprises measuring the intensity of the second fluorescent emission having a wavelength of about 440 nm. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein step (iv) comprises measuring the intensity of the second fluorescent emission having a wavelength of about 440 nm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein step (iv) comprises measuring the intensity of the second fluorescent emission having a wavelength of about 440 nm. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the treated area of skin and the untreated area of skin are the same area of skin and wherein the calculation of the ratio for the untreated area of skin occurs prior to said treatment. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising reporting the effect of the skin treatment based on the compared ratios. ### Claim 23 A method of determining the effect of a treatment performed on a first area of skin of a subject, the treatment selected from the group consisting of: cosmetic treatments, pharmaceutical treatments, laser treatment, and abrasive treatment; said method comprising: (i) exposing a first area of skin to a first exposure radiation to induce the first area of skin to emit a first fluorescent emission, wherein the first exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 290 nm to about 300 nm and wherein the first area of skin was exposed to said treatment; (ii) measuring the intensity of the first fluorescent emission having a wavelength of from about 320 nm to about 350 nm; (iii) exposing the first area of skin to a second exposure radiation to induce the first area of skin to emit a second fluorescent emission, wherein the second exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 330 nm to about 420 nm; (iv) measuring the intensity of the second fluorescent emission having a wavelength of from about 380 nm to about 470 nm; (v) calculating a ratio of the intensity measured in step (ii) to the intensity measured in step (iv) to cancel the effect of skin pigmentation of the first area of skin on the fluorescent emissions being measured; (vi) repeating steps (i) to (v) for a second area of skin, wherein the second area of skin was not exposed to said first treatment; and (vii) comparing the ratio for the first area of skin to the ratio for the second area of skin; and (viii) determining the effect of the skin treatment selected from the group consisting of: cosmetic treatments, pharmaceutical treatments, laser treatment, and abrasive treatment based on the compared ratios. ### Claim 24 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of about 295 nm. ### Claim 25 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein step (ii) comprises measuring the intensity of the first fluorescent emission having a wavelength of about 340 nm. ### Claim 26 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the second exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 390 to about 410 nm. ### Claim 27 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the second exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 390 nm to about 410 nm. ### Claim 28 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the second exposure radiation comprises primarily of wavelengths of from about 390 nm to about 410 nm. ### Claim 29 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein step (iv) comprises measuring the intensity of the second fluorescent emission having a wavelength of about 440 nm. ### Claim 30 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein step (iv) comprises measuring the intensity of the second fluorescent emission having a wavelength of about 440 nm. ### Claim 31 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein step (iv) comprises measuring the intensity of the second fluorescent emission having a wavelength of about 440 nm. ### Claim 32 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the treated area of skin and the untreated area of skin are the same area of skin and wherein the calculation of the ratio for the untreated area of skin occurs prior to said treatment. ### Claim 33 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising reporting the effect of the skin treatment based on the compared ratios.