Skin treatment device with imaging unit and method thereof

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining whether to perform a skin treatment with a device are provided, the method comprising the steps of obtaining image frames of a skin area to be treated, sensing a displacement of the device during processing of the captured image frames, and determining whether to perform a skin treatment based on the sensed displacement. The apparatus comprises an image capture unit configured to capture image frames of the skin area to be treated, a motion / position sensor configured to sense a displacement of the device at the skin area, and control means configured to process the captured image frames during processing, receive from the motion sensor the displacement of the device during processing, and determine whether to perform a treatment based on the received displacement.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application relates to devices and methods for treating skin or hair, and in particular to devices and methods that include an imaging or image capture unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Skin treatment devices with an imaging unit are known. Skin treatment devices with phototherapy or photoepilation are also known. In some cases, the skin area to be treated is imaged and recorded to avoid cases where subsequent treatment steps are not performed on the same skin area. This is achieved by a displacement sensor that detects the current position relative to the position of the treatment area. Repetitive treatment of a skin area due to overlapping of treatment areas or due to unintentional repeated application on previously treated skin areas can result in damage to the skin. Recording of the treatment area is even more desirable when the treatment is performed with light, for example in applications such as intense pulsed light (IPL). In other cases, the skin to be treated is recorded before treatment and analyzed for the presence or absence of blemishes or tattoos in order to selectively treat certain areas with a precise light intensity without treating the surrounding skin. The following details relate to devices that use light, among other forms of energy, for non-therapeutic skin treatment.

[0003] US2016 / 045762A1 discloses a device for treating a skin surface, in which a controller controls application of a treatment based on the displacement of the device relative to the skin surface sensed by a displacement sensor. The displacement information provided by the displacement sensor is used to determine whether a particular skin area has already been previously treated or to adjust the treatment to a determined rate of displacement of the device.

[0004] EP3685786A1 discloses a handheld device for performing personal care actions on a body of a subject. The device comprises an imaging unit and a displacement sensor that allows a position and / or orientation of the device relative to the body of the subject to be determined. Images of the body captured by the imaging unit are used to determine a position and / or orientation of the device when the device is not in contact with the body. The displacement sensor is used to measure a displacement of the device along the body when the device is in contact with the body. The device further has a controller configured to control the personal care actions based on the position and / or orientation of the device relative to the body determined by the imaging unit and the displacement sensor.

[0005] US2012 / 029353A1 discloses a system for ultrasound treatment including an ultrasound probe with a position or motion sensor that is used to determine the speed of movement of the ultrasound probe along the skin surface and whether the speed of movement is correct for treatment. In one embodiment, the position sensor includes a camera or video capture device for geotagging certain features present on the skin surface, such as scars, moles, and tattoos, which is useful for setting treatment parameters, determining treatment progress or success, or positioning the treatment probe, etc. The position sensor can track the position of the treatment probe, and the tracked position can be compared to a predefined treatment plan.

[0006] US2021 / 145514A1 discloses an apparatus for dermatological laser treatment of a subject's skin. The apparatus has a positioning device configured to move a working head to follow a predetermined path to scan a pulsed laser beam over a skin area to be treated under the control of a control system. The apparatus may further include one or more motion detectors, such as cameras, disposed on the working head to detect movement of the subject during treatment. The control system may be configured to modify the path followed by the working head to compensate for detected movement of the subject, or to stop treatment when the detected movement is too large or too fast. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] During the use of cosmetic skin treatment devices, particularly photoepilation devices, it is an objective to obtain information about the skin to be treated before carrying out the treatment. For example, with IPL devices, it is generally recommended to avoid treating skin areas with blemishes or tattoos, for the safe use of the device.

[0008] Such information can be obtained by an imaging element built into the device. However, an imaging unit such as a camera generates a certain latency during the capture and processing of image data. In other words, the time period T from when an image frame is captured to when the captured image frame is processed (including data readout and data transfer) is greater than 0. Furthermore, the higher the image resolution, the longer the latency. Although it is desirable to aim to reduce this latency or delay, this is not always achievable for reasons including the additional cost of the device and ease of manufacture.

[0009] A problem exists in that once an image of a skin area has been captured by the imaging unit, the user may intentionally or unintentionally move the skin treatment device from the skin area, in which case the processed image will no longer reflect the characteristics of the skin underneath the device at that particular moment in time, which is undesirable since treatment will occur on parts of the skin that have not been analyzed.

[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus that takes into account image processing delays in order to perform effective skin treatment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for skin treatment, comprising an image capture unit configured to capture image frames of a skin area to be treated, a motion or position sensor configured to sense a displacement of the apparatus on the skin area, and control means for processing the captured image frames during a processing period, receiving displacement information from the motion sensor relating to a displacement of the apparatus on the skin area occurring during the processing period of the captured image frames, and deciding whether to perform a treatment based on the received displacement information. There is also provided a method for deciding whether to perform a skin treatment with the apparatus, the method being computer-implemented, comprising the steps of: acquiring image frames of a skin area to be treated, processing the captured image frames during a processing period, receiving displacement information relating to a displacement of the apparatus on the skin area occurring during the processing period of the captured image frames, and deciding whether to perform a skin treatment based on the received displacement information.

[0012] According to another aspect of the invention, the control means is further configured to enable a treatment source when the displacement information indicates that the displacement of the device on the skin area during the treatment period is zero and / or disable the treatment source when the displacement information indicates that the displacement of the device on the skin area during the treatment period is non-zero.A corresponding method comprises the steps of enabling treatment when the received displacement information indicates that the displacement of the device on the skin area during the treatment period is zero and / or disabling treatment when the received displacement information indicates that the displacement of the device on the skin area during the treatment period is non-zero.

[0013] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the device has a treatment source, in other words, the device is self-contained, including an image capture unit, a motion sensor, and a control means, it can decide whether to perform a treatment and can perform the treatment.

[0014] According to yet another aspect of the invention, the control means is further configured to enable the treatment source when it determines that the imaged treatment area is suitable for skin treatment.A corresponding method comprises the step of enabling the treatment source when it determines that the imaged treatment area is suitable for skin treatment.

[0015] According to yet another aspect of the invention, the apparatus further comprises a user interface unit, the control means being configured to control the image capture unit to capture the image frame when detecting user input to the user interface unit, and a corresponding method comprising the step of controlling the image capture unit to capture the image frame when detecting user input to the user interface unit.

[0016] According to yet another aspect of the invention, the motion sensor is further configured to detect an initial position of the device relative to the skin area, and the control means is configured to control the image capture unit to capture the image frames based on said detection.A corresponding method includes the steps of detecting an initial position of the device relative to the skin area by a motion sensor, and controlling the image capture unit to capture the image frames based on the detection.

[0017] According to yet another aspect of the invention, the motion or position sensor comprises a skin contact sensor, in other words the initial position is detected via contact with the skin area, once the contact is registered the image capture unit is enabled.

[0018] According to yet another aspect of the invention, the control means decides whether to perform a treatment based on whether contact with the imaged skin area remains established during a treatment period. A corresponding method comprises deciding whether to perform a treatment based on whether contact with the imaged skin area remains established during a treatment period.

[0019] According to yet another aspect of the invention, the control means is further configured to control the image capture unit to capture a new image frame during the processing period based on the received displacement. The method includes the step of controlling the image capture unit to capture a new image frame during the processing period based on the received displacement.

[0020] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the processing period is 10 to 1000 milliseconds, preferably 100 to 500 milliseconds, and more preferably 20 to 50 milliseconds.

[0021] According to yet another aspect of the invention, the treatment source is a light source such as a light emitting diode, a laser, or a halogen lamp.

[0022] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein which, when executed by a suitable computer or processing unit, is configured to cause the computer or processing unit (control means) to perform the methods described above and the details recited hereinafter.

[0023] These and other aspects and further advantages will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an apparatus 1 for skin treatment according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows another block diagram of a system including an apparatus 1 for skin treatment and a skin treatment device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a skin treatment device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates a general method performed by device 1 or 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates a method for detecting displacement of the device 1 or skin treatment device 10 while processing image frames and performing control actions based thereon. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 illustrates a method for determining whether to perform a skin treatment using device 1 or skin treatment device 10, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The matters exemplified herein are provided to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the various exemplary embodiments of the invention disclosed with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0026] Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications of the exemplary figures / embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. In particular, combinations of specific features of the various aspects of the invention may be made. An aspect or embodiment of the invention may be further advantageously enhanced by adding features that are described in connection with another aspect or embodiment of the invention.

[0027] Furthermore, the functionality associated with a particular means may be centralized or distributed, local or remote. The computer program may be stored / distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium, provided together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless communication systems. The terms "comprise" and "have" and their derivatives mean inclusion without limitation. Furthermore, a reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude the possibility of there being more than one of that element, unless the context clearly requires that there is only one element. The indefinite article "a" or "an" usually means "at least one".

[0028] The phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" means "A, B, and / or C", for example, it is sufficient for only B to be present. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0029] As used herein, terms such as, for example, "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," "establishing," "analyzing," "checking," and the like, may refer in a non-limiting manner to operations and / or processes of a computer, computing platform, computing system, or other electronic computing device that manipulates and / or transforms data represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities in the registers and / or memory of the computer into other data similarly represented as physical quantities in the registers and / or memory of the computer, or other information non-transitory storage medium (e.g., memory) that may store instructions for performing the operations and / or processes. The terms "multiple" and "plurality" as used herein may include, for example, "multiple" or "two or more." The terms "multiple" or "multiple" may be used throughout this document to represent two or more components, devices, elements, units, parameters, and the like. Unless expressly stated, the method embodiments described herein are not bound to a particular order or sequence. Moreover, unless otherwise specified, some of the described method embodiments or elements thereof may occur or be performed simultaneously, contemporaneously, or concurringly.

[0030] 1 shows a block diagram of a device 1 for skin treatment according to an embodiment of the present invention. The device 1 is configured to determine whether to perform a skin treatment as described below. The device 1 is suitable for skin treatment, as will be apparent below. In this embodiment, it is not considered necessary for the device 1 to be able to perform the treatment. It determines whether to perform the treatment.

[0031] 2 shows another block diagram in which the device 1 is combined with a skin treatment device 10. This system can then be used to perform skin treatment.

[0032] 3, device 1, or elements contained therein, is part of a skin treatment device 10. Skin treatment device 10 may be an IPL device.

[0033] Skin treatment device 10 includes a treatment head 11. Treatment head 11 is configured to be placed on a skin surface when treatment is to be applied to that skin surface (skin area). In one embodiment, treatment head 11 may be detachable from the remainder of skin treatment device 10 and reattachable.

[0034] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the device 1 comprises at least an image capture unit 12 , a control means 13 and a motion / position sensor 14 .

[0035] In an embodiment such as that shown in Figure 3, the device 1 is incorporated into a light-based skin treatment device 10. An example of the implementation of the image capture unit 12 in a skin treatment device 10 is disclosed in Figure 2 of WO2021122703 or Figure 6 of EP Application No. 21180439.8. As will be described below, the present invention is not limited to light-based treatments.

[0036] In another embodiment, such as in Figure 1 or Figure 2, the image capture unit 12 may be a camera of the mobile user device 1 that is removably attached to the skin treatment device 10 at a suitable position on its housing (e.g. via a mechanical receptacle, as disclosed in Figure 2 of EP Application No. 20170690.0 or PCT / EP2021 / 059613). In this case, it is known to a person skilled in the art how to structurally modify the skin treatment device and / or device 1 so that device 1 can control the application of the skin treatment. Device 1 and skin treatment device 10 may be connected to each other via a wireless communication system, as shown in Figure 2.

[0037] In a non-limiting embodiment, in the skin treatment device 10, at least one image capture unit 12 can be included in a head portion of the device 10. This is shown in FIG.

[0038] The image capture unit 12 is configured to capture image frames of the skin area to be treated. In an embodiment, the image capture unit 12 captures the image frames upon user activation, i.e. upon registration of a user input via manipulation of the user interface unit 16 of the device 1 or 10. In another embodiment, the image capture unit 12 captures the image frames based on skin contact measurements. Details of how this is achieved are described in the following parts of this document. The skin area thus captured by the image frames is referred to as the imaged skin area in this document. As mentioned above, such image capture is intended to survey or analyze the skin area before treatment is performed. If an area of ​​the skin with a mole or other skin lesion is present, it is desirable not to perform treatment in such area.

[0039] The control means 13 receives the captured image frames from the image capture unit 12 and processes the captured image frames.

[0040] The control means 13 may be internal to the skin treatment device 10 or may be located in an external device, in which case the skin treatment device 10 receives processed information from the external control means. This may be achieved via wireless communication technologies, such as Bluetooth, NFC, WiFi, etc., the options of which are known to those skilled in the art. Figure 2 shows an example of a system including the device 1 and the skin treatment device 10 coupled to each other via a wireless communication system.

[0041] In one embodiment, the image capture unit 12 is capable of processing the captured images. In yet another embodiment, the images may be processed jointly by the image capture unit 12 and the control means 13.

[0042] Based on the resolution of the image (image capture unit 13) and the processing capabilities of the control means 13, there is a certain processing period required to process the captured image. This time includes the time it takes to transfer / receive the captured image data, process the data, and / or output the processed data.

[0043] The image processing period may be on the order of a few milliseconds, for example 20 milliseconds to a few hundred milliseconds.

[0044] In an embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2, the motion sensor 14 is external to the skin treatment device 10 and is included in the device 1. The motion sensor 14 then senses the displacement of the device 1 on the skin area. Since the device 1 is coupled to the skin treatment device 10, the motion sensor 14 can further process and correlate the displacement of the device 1 with the displacement of the skin treatment device 10 on the skin area. This is especially the case when the device 1 is physically attached to the device 10. In an embodiment, the image capture unit 12, the motion sensor 14 and the control means 13 can be controlled via a software application stored in the memory of the device 1. The device 1 and its method are controlled, among other things, via user input through the software application.

[0045] In another embodiment, the motion sensor 14 is built into the skin treatment device 10, as shown in Figure 3. The motion sensor 14 senses the displacement of the skin treatment device 1 on the skin area.

[0046] The device 1 or skin treatment device 10 may include additional circuitry 18, such as additional sensors or elements such as a transceiver, to allow for communication in a wired or wireless manner.

[0047] The motion sensor 14 of the device 1 is communicatively coupled to the control means 13. As mentioned above, the control means 13 can be located in the device 1 or in the skin treatment device 10. The image capture unit 12, the control means 13 and the motion sensor 14 do not necessarily have to be located in one device.

[0048] 3, the motion sensor 14 includes one or more displacement sensing devices configured to sense the displacement of the treatment head 11 on the skin surface. It is also possible for the motion sensor 14 to measure displacement using another criterion instead of or in addition to the treatment head 11 of the skin treatment device 10.

[0049] In one embodiment, the motion sensor 14 is a mechanical displacement sensor.

[0050] In another embodiment, the motion sensor 14 is an optical sensor that uses sequential images, such as a camera.

[0051] In an embodiment, the image capture unit 12 may also function as an optical motion sensor 14 .

[0052] In the embodiment of Figure 1, the motion sensor 14 may be realized using an external camera such as that found in a mobile user device (e.g. a smartphone). The method may utilize the motion sensor 14 of the mobile device acting as the image capture unit 12. The control means 13 analyses the images to detect whether a skin feature at one reference position in a first image frame has moved to another position in a second image frame.

[0053] The control means is adapted to receive information regarding the displacement of the device 1 and / or the skin treatment device 10 from the motion sensor 14 .

[0054] The objective of the present invention is to ensure that the imaged skin area corresponds to the skin area that will be treated in a subsequent step. For simplicity, the following description focuses on an embodiment in which the image capture unit 12, the control means 13 and the motion sensor 14 are part of the skin treatment device 10, as shown in the embodiment of FIG.

[0055] The motion sensor 14 senses the displacement of the treatment head 11 during image processing of a captured image frame. The image processing period can be a predetermined / pre-stored value (corresponding to device parameters) or can be variable (based on different image resolutions, programming instructions) and defines the time it takes the device 10 (or 1) to process a particular image frame.

[0056] In one embodiment, the motion sensor 14 senses the displacement of the treatment head 11 relative to the imaged skin area during image processing. The control means 13 is configured to extract position information of the imaged skin area from the captured image frames and / or skin features therein, and to obtain the displacement of the imaged skin area and / or skin features by analysing subsequent image frames captured by the image capture unit 12 or the optical motion sensor 14, or by obtaining position coordinates from a mechanical motion sensor.

[0057] Based on the sensed displacement, the control means 13 controls the function of the treatment source 15 of the skin treatment device 10 .

[0058] As mentioned above, in a practical embodiment, the device 1 having the image capture unit 12, the control means 13 and the motion sensor 14 may be part of a mobile user device or a smartphone, which is suitable for controlling the application of a skin treatment by communicating with (and thereby controlling) the treatment device.

[0059] The treatment source 15 can be located in the treatment head 11 of the skin treatment device 10. For example, the treatment source 15 can include a radiation source (e.g., of visible, ultraviolet, infrared, or radio frequency radiation), an electromagnetic device, a heat source, a mechanical device (e.g., a vibrator, a mechanical massager, a shaver, or other mechanical device), or another skin treatment device. The example shown in FIG. 1 relates to a skin treatment device 10 in which the treatment source 15 is a radiation source. The treatment source 11 is not limited to being located in the treatment head 11, but can also be located elsewhere in the skin treatment device 10, as long as there are other means to deliver emitted energy (light, heat, sound, vibration, rotation, etc.) to the skin to perform the treatment. The operation of the treatment source 15 is controlled by the control means 13. The control means 13 can control the operation of the treatment source 15, in other words, the application of the skin treatment, based on at least one of a user input via the operation of the user interface unit 16, sensory information from the motion sensor 14, characteristics of the image frame captured by the image capture unit 12, and programmed instructions.

[0060] Sensor information from the motion sensor 14.

[0061] The control means 13 is configured to receive information regarding the displacement of the skin treatment device 10 and / or the treatment head 11 (or the device 1 as described above) during or during the processing of the captured image frames. The displacement can be measured relative to the position of the last imaged skin area.

[0062] The control means 13 decides whether to perform treatment based on the sensed displacement, for example the treatment source 15 can be enabled or disabled based on the measured displacement.

[0063] If the displacement during the image processing period is zero, the treatment source 13 is enabled. The treatment source 13 can be enabled by sending a trigger signal to the user interface unit 16 to indicate to the user to press a button on the skin treatment device 10, or it can be enabled automatically by the control means 13. The skin treatment device 10 is determined not to have moved [T0,P0→T1,P0] since the last imaged skin area or since the moment the previous image was captured, where P0 is the set of position coordinates of the imaged skin area registered at the time T0 when the image of the skin area was captured by the image capture unit 12. At the time T1 when the image is processed by the control means 13, the sensed position is still P0, which means that the device was stationary during the image processing period T1-T0.

[0064] If the displacement during image processing is not zero, the treatment source 13 is disabled. It is determined that the skin treatment device 10 has moved [T0,P0→T1,P0] from the last imaged skin area or from the moment the previous image was captured, where P0 is the set of position coordinates of the imaged skin area registered at time T0 when the image of the skin area was captured by the image capture unit 12. At time T1 when the image is processed by the control means 13, the sensed position coordinate corresponds to P1. P1 no longer reflects the position of the skin area imaged or captured by the image capture unit 12 at time T0.

[0065] The control means 13 can determine the displacement immediately during the processing period, i.e. while processing an image frame, or after an estimated processing period T1-T0. The value of the estimated processing period may be pre-stored in the memory of the device. This value can be defined based on factors such as the resolution of the image, the processing power of the control circuitry, etc.

[0066] In one embodiment, when the image is processed at time T1, or after a predetermined processing period, if the control means 13 detects that the displacement is not zero, it sends a trigger signal to the image capture unit 12 to capture a further (e.g. a second) image frame, which image frame is of the skin area at the new position P1.

[0067] In an embodiment, when the control means 13 detects that the displacement is not zero at an intermediate time Tint during the image processing period T1-T0, it sends a trigger signal to the image capture unit 12 to capture a further image frame, which is an image frame of the skin area at its new location in Tint, without adding the delay required to process the previously captured image frame. The previously captured image frame is either deleted from the device's memory or stored there for future use.

[0068] As a result of checks during treatment, the device 1 is able to determine whether there has been a displacement of the device since the last captured skin image and perform treatment only if the imaged skin is the same as the treated skin (or the skin that will be treated).

[0069] User input via operation of the user interface unit 16 .

[0070] In an embodiment, the control means 13 is configured to send a trigger signal to the image capture unit 12 when a user inputs a command via operation of the user interface unit 16 .

[0071] In an embodiment the control means 13 is configured to detect whether the displacement has been intentionally triggered by a user using the user interface unit 16, for example by checking whether the displacement exceeds a predefined threshold. The control means 13 can check whether there is a sensed displacement after image processing, at a time Tl, or at any time instant Tint during the image processing period.

[0072] A characteristic of an image frame captured by the image capture unit 12.

[0073] Another object of the present invention is to avoid treatment in areas that are not suitable for treatment, such as skin irregularities including moles and tattoos.

[0074] In this respect, the control means 13 is configured to check whether the imaged skin area is suitable for treatment: it checks for the presence or absence of skin characteristics that indicate unsuitability of the targeted skin area.

[0075] When the control means 13 determines that the imaged area is suitable for treatment, it enables the treatment source (treatment pulse). If the skin treatment device 10 is an IPL device, the treatment pulse is a light pulse.

[0076] If the control means 13 determines that the imaged skin area is unsuitable for skin treatment, it sends a signal to the user interface unit 16 indicating to the user to modify the treatment area.

[0077] FIG. 4 illustrates a general method performed by device 1 or 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0078] Step 401 comprises acquiring an image frame of the skin area to be treated. The image is acquired via a manual trigger or automatically by detecting a starting mode such as contact or proximity detection. The starting position is registered by the device.

[0079] Step 402 comprises sensing a displacement of the device during processing of a captured image frame, the displacement being calculated relative to a starting position.

[0080] Step 403 includes determining whether to perform a skin treatment based on the sensed displacement.

[0081] The details of this method are described above as steps performed by device 1 or 10.

[0082] As with the functionality of the devices, any of the above steps performed by the devices can be combined in a method.

[0083] 5 relates to a method for detecting the displacement of the device 1 or the skin treatment device 10 while processing image frames and performing control actions based thereon. In this specific embodiment, the motion sensor 14 is a skin contact sensor 17, i.e. the device 1 further comprises a skin contact sensor. It is known to those skilled in the art that any motion detection means can be implemented in the present invention.

[0084] The contact sensor may be optical or imaging (e.g. using a camera and taking the difference in images in contact vs. non-contact mode) or may be a capacitance sensor that measures a change in capacitance, for example when registering contact of the treatment head 11 with the skin. The skin contact sensor may alternatively be an ultrasonic or proximity sensor.

[0085] It is understood that the motion sensor is faster than the latency (time it takes to process an image) of the image capture unit 12. Depending on the resolution of the image acquired for processing, the latency may be in the range of tens of milliseconds or even more. Therefore, it is preferable for the motion sensor to provide a response time of less than a millisecond, and ideally even faster.

[0086] In step 501, a step of detecting initial skin contact of the treatment head is performed by the skin contact sensor. The control means processes the information obtained by the skin contact sensor 17 to determine contact with the skin area. The skin area where contact is registered is the starting / initial position / area for which motion is detected. In other words, the method utilizes information from a motion sensor (here the skin contact sensor) to initiate treatment control.

[0087] In step 502, the step of capturing an image frame is executed by the image capture unit 12.

[0088] In step 503, the step of processing the image frame is started by the control means 13. During this step, the control means continues to detect contact with the skin via the information obtained from the skin contact sensor 17 during the processing period.

[0089] In step 504, the step of controlling the application of the skin treatment or the step of determining whether to execute the treatment is executed by the control means 13. For example, if it is determined that contact with the skin is lost during the processing period (any time instant during the processing of the image frame), the control means 13 determines that the device 1 is displaced while processing the image frame and the skin area to be treated no longer corresponds to the imaged area. It sends a trigger signal to the treatment source 15 to disable the treatment source. As described above, the treatment source 15 can be arranged outside the device 1. Further, it can send a trigger signal to the image capture unit 12 to obtain a second image frame at the new position where the device registered the contact and return to step 502. To avoid delays in the device operation, the second frame can be captured even during the processing period T (Tint < T1). This is particularly effective when a predetermined processing period T1 - T0 based on factors such as image resolution, processing parameters, etc. is pre-stored in the device, and particularly effective when the time instant at which the displacement is detected is less than the predetermined value T1 - T0. The method may further check whether its operation was started by the user, and if not, display a warning to the user via the user interface unit 16 for operation control.

[0090] At T1, if it is determined that the skin contact sensor 17 registered contact throughout the period T1 - T0, the control means 13 sends a trigger signal to the treatment source 15 to enable the treatment source in the imaged skin area.

[0091] The above embodiments can be combined or realized separately in the present invention.

[0092] FIG. 6 illustrates a method of performing skin treatment using the device 1 or skin treatment device 10 in an embodiment combining at least some of the specific steps described above.

[0093] In step 601, a method for initiating a skin treatment is executed by the control means 13. As mentioned above, the method is either initiated by the user via the user interface unit 16 and / or automatically by the device 1 by registering contact with a particular skin area by the skin contact sensor 17 (this being an indication of the starting position obtained by the motion sensor, as is abundantly clear from the embodiment of FIG. 3).

[0094] In step 602, the method captures an image frame of the skin area to be treated.

[0095] In step 603, the image frames are processed. Simultaneously with the image processing, the method checks the displacement of the device 1 and / or 10. Based on this check, the method controls the application of a treatment to the imaged skin area. This control can be performed by sending a trigger signal to the treatment source to enable / disable it.

[0096] If the displacement is zero, i.e. the device has not moved from the imaged skin area, then in step 604 it is determined whether the skin area is suitable for treatment, for example by identifying certain skin characteristics in the image frames, to ensure safety during skin treatment. If the skin area is determined to be suitable for treatment, the method activates the treatment source in step 605. On the other hand, if the skin area is not suitable, the treatment source is disabled in step 606. In step 607, the user may be prompted to position the device 1 or 10 on a new skin area by a feedback signal sent by the control means 13 via the user interface unit 16. The method captures a new image on the new skin area in step 608 and repeats the method in step 603.

[0097] If the displacement is determined to be non-zero, the treatment source (and therefore the treatment) is disabled in step 609. The method may further calculate the extent of the displacement to see if the displacement is intentional. If not, a message is displayed to the user. In step 610, in an embodiment where the capture of an image frame is initiated by registering contact with the skin contact sensor in step 601, the method may automatically capture a new image frame with the new skin area (after displacement) and the method is repeated from step 603. Once the method is initiated by the user in step 601, feedback may be provided to the user via the user interface unit 16 to capture a new image frame. Method step 601 may be resumed for the next treatment session.

[0098] It should therefore be understood that the apparatus according to the present invention may function according to any or a combination of the methods described above.

[0099] Thus, the present invention not only provides position-triggered image capture, but also provides a disposition decision aspect that compensates for the processing constraints of the image unit capturing device position.

[0100] The control means 13 can be realized in several ways using software and / or hardware to perform the various functions described herein. The control means 13 can comprise one or more microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs) that can be programmed using software or computer program code to perform the required functions and / or to control the elements of the control means 13 to achieve the required functions. The control means 13 can be realized as a combination of dedicated hardware to perform some functions (e.g. amplifiers, preamplifiers, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and / or digital-to-analog converters (DACs)) and processors (e.g. one or more programmed microprocessors, controllers, DSPs and associated circuitry) to perform other functions. Examples of elements that may be employed in various embodiments of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, conventional microprocessors, DSPs, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), hardware for implementing neural networks, and / or so-called artificial intelligence (AI) hardware accelerators (i.e., processors or other hardware designed specifically for AI applications that may be used in parallel with a main processor).

[0101] The control means 13 may have or be associated with a memory. The memory may store data, information, and / or signals (including images) for use by the control means 13 in controlling the operation of the device 1 or 10 and / or in performing or carrying out the methods described herein. In some implementations, the memory stores computer readable code executable by the control means 13 such that the control means 13 performs one or more functions including the methods described herein. In certain embodiments, the program code may be in the form of an application for a smartphone, tablet, laptop, computer, or server. The memory may comprise any type of non-transitory machine-readable medium such as random access memory (RAM), static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), read only memory (ROM), cache or system memory including volatile and non-volatile computer memory such as programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM) and electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM). The memory unit may be realized in the form of a memory chip, an optical disk (such as a compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD) or Blu-Ray disk), a hard disk, a tape storage solution, or a solid-state device such as a memory stick, a solid-state drive (SSD), a memory card, etc.

[0102] The user interface unit 16 may include a transceiver that allows data connection to and / or exchange with other devices, including any one or more servers, databases, user devices, and sensors. It may operate using WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, or any cellular communication protocol, including, but not limited to, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, etc. It may further include circuitry for controlling any suitable input elements, including but not limited to a keyboard, a keypad, one or more buttons, switches or dials, a mouse, a trackpad, a touch screen, a stylus, a camera, a microphone, etc. The user interface may include any suitable output elements, including but not limited to a display unit or display screen, one or more lights or light elements, one or more speakers, a vibration element, etc.

[0103] It should be understood that a practical implementation of the apparatus 1 or 10 may include additional elements to those shown in the figures.

[0104] The dimensions and values ​​disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact values ​​recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the value recited and functionally equivalent approximations surrounding that value. Similarly, unless otherwise specified, dimensions described herein are measured using common laboratory measurement techniques known to those skilled in the art.

[0105] Although the present disclosure has been described in the above exemplary embodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to those skilled in the art. The present disclosure is intended to cover such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for skin treatment comprising: a treatment source for performing a skin treatment; an image capture unit for capturing image frames of the skin area to be treated; a motion or position sensor that senses displacement of the device on the skin area; and a control means, the control means comprising: processing the captured image frames during a processing period; receiving displacement information from the motion or position sensor regarding displacement of the device over the skin area occurring during the processing of the captured image frames; determining whether to perform an action based on the received displacement information; The device enables the treatment source when the displacement information indicates that the displacement of the device at the skin area during the treatment period is zero, and / or disables the treatment source when the displacement information indicates that the displacement of the device at the skin area during the treatment period is not zero.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control means is further adapted to enable the treatment source when the captured skin area is determined to be suitable for skin treatment.

3. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a user interface unit, wherein said control means controls said image capture unit to capture said image frame upon detecting a user input to said user interface unit.

4. 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the motion or position sensor is further adapted to detect an initial position of the device relative to the skin area, and the control means is adapted to control the image capture unit to capture the image frame based on the detection.

5. 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the motion or position sensor comprises a skin contact sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the control means further controls the image capture unit to capture the image frame when the skin contact sensor detects an initial contact of a treatment head with the skin area.

7. 7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the control means decides whether to perform a treatment based on whether contact with the captured skin area remains established during the treatment period.

8. 8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said control means is further adapted to control said image capture unit to capture a new image frame during said processing period based on said received displacement.

9. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the processing period is between 10 and 1000 milliseconds.

10. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the treatment source is a light source.

11. A method for determining whether or not to perform a skin treatment using an apparatus having a control means, comprising: said control means receiving captured image frames of a skin area to be treated from an image capture unit; said control means processing said captured image frames during a processing period; said control means receiving displacement information from a motion or position sensor relating to displacement of said device across said skin area that occurred during said processing of said captured image frames; the control means determining whether to perform the skin treatment based on the received displacement information; The method comprises a step in which the control means enables the skin treatment when the received displacement information indicates that the displacement of the device on the skin area during the treatment period is zero, and / or disables the skin treatment when the received displacement information indicates that the displacement of the device on the skin area during the treatment period is not zero.

12. A computer program having computer readable code embodied therein, said computer readable code causing, when executed by a suitable computer or control means, the method of claim 11 to be performed.

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