Patent ID: 6389150
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: A61B,G01N

Abstract:
A method for measuring the quality of hairs, the method comprising the steps of:a. identifying a viewing area of skin from a part of a body for which hair quality measurement is desired; d. viewing the viewing area with an apparatus to create first images of the area comprising hair shafts coming out of the area and storing the first images for further comparison; e. dying the hair shafts with coloring products; f. viewing the viewing area with the apparatus to create second images including a change of hair color at selected points of each hair shafts coming out of the skin including any new hairs with tips coming out, and storing the second images; g. viewing the viewing area again 1 to 7 days after the dying step with the apparatus to create third images which identify the changes of each hair shafts after dying and growing; h. retrieving the first, second and third images, and measuring the size of each hair shaft coming out of the skin in the first image, numbering each hair shaft in the viewing area in the first image, and counting the total hair shaft density being measured in the first image; i. counting separately the amount of hair shafts with either a natural hair color or the dyed color at a point where the hair comes out from the skin from the third images, and measuring segments of natural hair color on the hair shafts in the third image to create hair growth data; j. statistically analyzing the hair growth data obtained from the preceding steps to summarize the hair growth data; k. pulling non-growing hairs and viewing the area where the non-growing hairs were pulled periodically to capture the image of the hairs at the time of shedding, and recording the shedding date; l. viewing the viewing area weekly for about 4 weeks to monitor the amount of dyed hair shafts in the third images; m. repeating steps e to l to monitor the monthly progress of hair quantity and quality; n. viewing the viewing area to monitor any new hair growth in any areas where non-growing hairs were pulled and recording such hair growth data for further calculation; o. repeating the dying steps from step e to step h, using a different color in planned sequence to create different color bands and creating sets of first, second and third images and using the sets of images for growth rate calculation; p. collecting a plurality of hairs in step o with different color bands and measuring and calculating to determine the growth rate and the length of each band.