Patent ID: 7556605

Claim:
A method of determining a skin elasticity value for the skin of an individual, the method comprising the steps of: applying a negative pressure to a skin sample on a person for a preselected first period of time and subsequently releasing the pressure; obtaining a deformation curve over the first period of time from the application of the negative pressure obtain a relaxation curve over a period of time from an end of the first period of time to a preselected second period of time; determining an inflection point on the relaxation curve; defining an area associated with an absolute recovery wherein the area is bounded on the left by a vertical representation of a maximum deformation of the skin; bounded on the right by a vertical line through the preselected second period of time; bounded on the top by a horizontal representation of the maximum deformation of the skin; and bounded on the bottom by a horizontal reference point to a position of the skin prior to deformation; defining an area associated with elastic recovery wherein the area is bounded on the left by the relaxation curve; bounded on the right by the vertical line through the preselected second period of time; bounded on the top by the horizontal representation of the maximum deformation of the skin; and bounded on the bottom by a horizontal line intersecting the inflection point; defining an area associated with a viscoelastic recovery wherein the area is bounded on the left and the bottom by the relaxation curve; bounded on the right by the vertical line through the preselected second period of time; and bounded on the top by the horizontal line intersecting the inflection point; and calculating a value associated with an elastic recovery or a viscoelastic recovery or both.