SkinChip^®, a new tool for investigating the skin surface in vivo

Abstract

This new device appears to be a very convenient way for characterizing the properties of the skin surface. With regard to hydration, it usefully provides both the average value and the hydration chart of the investigated skin zones.

Sweat Gland Awakening on Physical Training: A Skin Capacitance Mapping Observation

“…Over the past decade, an innovative progress afforded the Skin Capacitance Mapping (SCM) method representing a specific type of nonoptical skin surface imaging [4][5][6][7]. This method relied on fine-tuned electrometric measurements of the skin surface properties.…”

In vivo skin imaging for hydration and micro relief-measurement

“…The scientifi c laboratories L´Oréal (Paris, France) in cooperation with ST Microelectronics (Geneva, Switzerland) modifi ed the chip technology for fi ngerprint sensor and developed a device enabling to get the image of skin surface -SkinChip® (1,6,7,8). On a similar principle, we modifi ed the chip technology for fi ngerprint sensor (commercially manufactured as SPF200-USB fi ngerprint sensor) and developed a device able to imaging skin surface which extends the existing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in pathological conditions infl uencing micro-relief and skin hydration.…”

“…For skin physiologists, this interface between the environment and the biological medium has several important function (barrier, mechanical, thermal, sensitive, etc) that, all together, justify the efforts undertaken during recent years by physicists and bioengineers in developing new techniques for measuring, in vivo, some physical properties of the skin (7). Various research laboratories have developed some few devices allowing measuring the electrical skin properties, all being based on the skin capacitance, conductance or impedance (5), with different kinds of electrodes, sensors and working by various measurement frequencies (3).…”

“…Various research laboratories have developed some few devices allowing measuring the electrical skin properties, all being based on the skin capacitance, conductance or impedance (5), with different kinds of electrodes, sensors and working by various measurement frequencies (3). One of them is the non optical skin capacitance imaging using sensors based on silicon technology primary developed to sensing fi ngerprints for security reasons (2,7,11,13). The analysis paper proves a signifi cant linear correlation between the results obtained by Corneometer device (taken into consideration as reference value for skin hydration) and the averaged parameters measured by SkinChip® (1,7,12).…”

Silicon Image Sensor Technology for in vivo Detection of Surfactant-Induced Corneocyte Swelling and Drying

“…This study was conducted in order to assess early SC alterations resulting from topical applications of surfactant solutions using a new silicon image sensor (SIS) technology [21, 22, 23, 24]. The method combines multiple simultaneous measurements of skin capacitance and visualization of the skin surface topography.…”