Image analysis – Applications
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-04
2002-05-14
Johns, Andrew W. (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Applications
C382S128000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06389150
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the method of measuring many parameters of hair quality such as a diameter size of hair shaft, the rate growth of each hair shaft, the total time in each phase of hair crowing cycle. The method can be done repeatedly to observe the dynamic changes of these parameters of which the method then can be used to study the change of these hair parameters affected by foods, drug, certain products, activities and habits.
2. Description of Related Art
Hair problems and diseases, particularly thinning hairs and furs, are very common in both human and animals. Thin hairs and furs presumably are caused by many specific changes of hair growth cycle. If a high percentage of hairs or furs on the body part of interest is not performing the function of growing out hair shafts, those hairs and furs are in resting or catagen phase of hair cycle. The resting hairs will fall out in very near future, at this stage the hairs or furs will not grow further if one shaves the area. Left over hair follicles after the shedding of hair shafts will grow new hair shaft and if the process takes longer times the number of hair shafts per unit area will decrease and cause empty area at the spot. In another case if new hairs can grow out immediately but the new hairs are generating hair shafts with a significantly slow speed, then the new hairs will not match the surrounding normal hairs in length which will give the appearance of thinning hairs. The size of hair shafts also determine the look of either thick or thin hairs since larger hair shaft will either reflect or absorb light, depending on the color of the hair, better than hair with small diameter shaft. The ability of each hair follicle to generate more than one hair shaft at a time will also give more amount of hair on the area. All of the parameters regarding to the generated hair shafts should be measured during the anagen or growing phase of hair cycle. The steady growth rate of each hair shaft is also important to achieve the smooth silky hair and fur. Finally the total duration of growing phase will dictate when each hair will cease growing and return into resting phase before fall out to complete the whole cycle. Any factors possibly force the hair root to cease growing will shorten the duration of this growing phase and automatically increase the number of hairs getting into resting phase as early mentioned. If there is any versatile method being able to measure the percentage of growing hair shafts and non-growing or non-performing hair shafts, to calculate the approximate time of new hair to grow out from the empty follicles, to measure the rate of generating hair shaft among all of the growing ones, to count the total number of hair density in the area, to measure the size of all the hair shafts in the observed unit field and finally to monitor all the changes of these parameters through the whole duration of growing time, resting period and falling phase the outcome of these data will benefit many people. Medical doctors will be able to classify human hair problems more accurately and based on pathophysiological basis. Veterinarian will understand how to improve the nature of furs both in normal and ill animals. Food and drug industries can use the method to study many potential food supplements, herbal products and drums possibly influencing on each specific quality of hair through the whole cycle. Meticulously combining many factors with clear effects but with different roles will enhance the significant results of making good healthy hairs and furs. The method also can be used to identify the negative effects of other foods, products, drugs, activities and habits common to people and animals in daily life of which the information will help the related industries upgrade and improve the qualities of their products mentioned to benefit the consumers. Government can use the method to screen cosmetic hair care products and hair styling device for safety and benefits of people. However, the fact is there are still no methods that can have the capability as mentioned.
Available methods being used currently can calculate the percentage of growing hair shafts versus non-growing portion but the methods require the examined body part to be shaved and observed several days later. The methods can not be used on unshaved area and dose not have the novelty to reach any conclusion on the duration of hair growth cycle necessary as stated in the previous paragraph. Also any changes of hair shaft diameter size and growing rate through time on the same hair shaft can not be measured and recorded. Although hair density measuring method is also available with specific device obtaining the photo or image for manual counting, the method can not give information of how the hair density has changed. To be precise, all available methods also can not closely observe and record the dynamic changes of all the parameters through out its life cycle.
Moreover, all the available methods are not practically helpful on the daily basis application to benefit people who intend to use or to be used such as the practice in medical office.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A new method of measuring most of parameters required to evaluate the complete quality of human and animal hairs in the observed area is invented. This new invention will give the results of following:
1. The exact percentage of non-growing hairs versus growing ones in the area of measuring.
2. The approximate gap time of individual hair follicle between the point of hair shedding and the early sign of regenerating a young tip of new hair shaft.
3. The rate of individual hair shaft being produced per day at any point in time through its whole life cycle.
4. The diameter size of each hair shaft correlating with the data in 3.
5. The amount of hair moving into and out of resting phase each month.
6. The total growing duration of an individual hair starting from the early day until it transcends into the resting phase.
7. The total time of a hair staying in the non-growing phase before being sheded out.
8. The budding activities of a follicle to give more than one hair shaft per follicle.
9. The dynamic changes of each hair shaft parameters in the same follicles mentioned in 8.
All the results can be recorded and retrieved for further statistic calculations and comparisons to see the effects of many unknown and known factors ranging from foods, drugs, hair care products, activities and habits on the health and quality of hair.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4170827 (1979-10-01), Katz et al.
patent: 4807163 (1989-02-01), Gibbons
patent: 6099870 (2000-08-01), Cauwenbergh
patent: 6121269 (2000-09-01), Henry et al.
patent: 6162211 (2000-12-01), Tankovich et al.
patent: 6333193 (2001-12-01), Shiba
Johns Andrew W.
Nakhjavan Shervin
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