Corneal stratum corneum cell collection tool

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to propose a new tool and method for collecting keratinocytes, which are easily detached from the skin without artificial peeling, from any area of ​​the skin. [Solution] The above problem was solved by discovering a stratum corneum cell collecting tool characterized by having a capture part 1 for capturing stratum corneum cells, which holds the capture part 1 at a site where stratum corneum cells can be collected from any desired range of the skin to be collected, and is equipped with a support 2 for maintaining the capture part 1 at an arbitrary distance from the skin so that the capture part 1 does not come into contact with the skin, and is equipped with a fixing means 3 for fixing the support 2 to the skin. [Effects] It is possible to easily collect stratum corneum cells that have detached from the skin without artificial peeling, making it possible to evaluate the skin condition. Because stratum corneum cells can be collected without physical peeling, it is possible to analyze natural stratum corneum cells without the risk of damage or artifacts caused by physical peeling.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a non-invasive harvesting tool and harvesting method for keratinocytes. [Background technology]

[0002] The skin is made up of three layers, starting from the surface layer that comes into contact with the outside air: the epidermis, the dermis, and the subcutaneous tissue. The epidermis is made up of cells called keratinocytes, which are further divided into the basal layer, spinous layer, granular layer, and stratum corneum (horny layer) from the deepest part close to the dermis. In the epidermis, keratinocytes grow and differentiate, pushing up from the basal layer toward the stratum corneum, becoming keratinocytes, and at the outermost layer of the stratum corneum, they are shed as scum.

[0003] The condition of the skin can be evaluated by measuring the size of stratum corneum cells, the degree of delamination, the rate of nucleated cells, the state of degeneration, etc., and for example, the turnover rate and the state of parakeratosis can be evaluated (Non-Patent Document 1, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Conventionally, methods such as tape stripping (Patent Document 2) and scraping have been used to collect keratinocytes. These methods are considered to be minimally invasive or non-invasive methods for collecting keratinocytes because they cause little damage to the skin, including visible damage such as wounds and inflammation and sensory damage such as pain. However, all of the conventional methods involve artificial action, although not to the extent of disturbing the internal environment of the living body, in that the keratinocytes that are attached to the skin by mechanisms such as intercellular adhesion proteins and electrostatic interactions are artificially peeled off for collection. In other words, although the conventional methods are considered to be minimally invasive or non-invasive to the skin, in terms of the purpose of observing the state of keratinocytes, they are methods for collecting keratinocytes by artificial peeling, and the keratinocytes collected by these methods are different from keratinocytes that have detached from the skin without artificial peeling. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-242249 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2002-318230 A [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] G. L, Grove, AM Kligman. Corneocyte Size as An Indirect Measure of Epidermal Proliferative Activity. Stratum Corneum 1983; 191-195. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The objective of the present invention is to propose a new tool and method for collecting stratum corneum cells, which are capable of collecting stratum corneum cells that have detached from the skin simply and without artificial peeling, from any desired area of ​​the skin. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The above problem was solved by discovering a keratinocyte collecting tool characterized by having a capture part 1 for capturing keratinocytes, which holds the capture part 1 at a site where keratinocytes can be collected from any desired range of the skin to be collected, and is equipped with a support 2 for maintaining the capture part 1 at an arbitrary distance from the skin so that the capture part 1 does not come into contact with the skin, and is equipped with a fixing means 3 for fixing the support 2 to the skin. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, stratum corneum cells detached from the skin can be collected easily and without artificial peeling, and the skin condition can be evaluated by various analyses using the collected stratum corneum cells, such as the size, shape (roundness, etc.), degree of stratification, nucleated cell rate, and denaturation state of the stratum corneum cells. In addition, since the stratum corneum cells can be collected without physical peeling, natural stratum corneum cells can be analyzed without the risk of damage or artifacts due to physical peeling. Furthermore, it is possible to deliberately cause the stratum corneum cells to detach in response to skin movement or external stimuli, and analyze the difference in cell condition and amount of detachment due to differences in the stratum corneum cell detachment conditions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] Actual usage and cross-sectional view of the stratum corneum cell collection tool used in the experiment [Diagram 2] Example 1 of the shape of the stratum corneum sampling tool (cuboid shape) [Diagram 3] Variation 1 of the capture part 1 from the example 1 of the stratum corneum sampling tool [Figure 4] Variation 2 of the capture part 1 from the stratum corneum sampling tool form example 1 [Diagram 5] Example 2 of stratum corneum sampling tool shape (pillar type) [Figure 6] Example 3 of the shape of the stratum corneum sampling tool (cylindrical) [Figure 7] Variations of the fixing means 3 from the example 3 of the stratum corneum sampling tool [Figure 8] Example 4 of stratum corneum sampling tool shape (square pyramid shape) [Figure 9] Variation 3 of the capture part 1 from the stratum corneum sampling tool form example 1 [Figure 10] Example 5 of stratum corneum sampling tool shape (hemispherical) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The stratum corneum cell collecting tool of the present invention comprises: A capture unit 1 for capturing stratum corneum cells; a support 2 for holding the capture unit 1 at a site where stratum corneum cells can be collected from any target area of ​​the skin and for keeping the capture unit 1 at an arbitrary distance from the skin so that the capture unit 1 does not come into contact with the skin; and The support 2 is constituted by fixing means 3 for fixing the support 2 to the skin.

[0012] The capture part 1 in the present invention is a component of the device for capturing and holding stratum corneum cells that have detached from the skin without artificial peeling; when stratum corneum cells adhere to the capture part 1, they remain on the capture part 1, and the stratum corneum cells can be collected by recovering the capture part 1.

[0013] In the present invention, detachment of stratum corneum cells refers to the detachment of stratum corneum cells from the skin surface. However, this does not mean the act of artificially peeling off a part of the stratum corneum for the purpose of harvesting the cells by tape stripping or the like, but rather the phenomenon in which stratum corneum cells naturally detach from the skin surface due to turnover or the like, or the phenomenon in which stratum corneum cells detach from the skin surface in response to skin movement or external stimuli.

[0014] The distance between the capture part 1 and the skin is not important as long as the stratum corneum cells that have detached from the collection range can reach it. Furthermore, since the collection efficiency increases as the capture part 1 is closer to the collection range, it is desirable to hold the capture part 1 at any part of the support 2 where the shortest distance between the capture part 1 and the skin is within 5 cm, and it is even better if the capture part 1 can be held at any part of the support 2 where the shortest distance between the capture part 1 and the skin is within 1 cm. Furthermore, the shape and size of the capture part 1 are not particularly important as long as it can capture the stratum corneum cells. The material of the capture part 1 may be any material to which the stratum corneum cells can adhere, and representative examples include the adhesive part of a tape or a material having adhesive properties such as glue. In addition, the stratum corneum cells may be electrostatically attached to the material by, for example, charging the material with static electricity.

[0015] In the present invention, the adhesiveness of the capture part 1 makes it possible to capture stratum corneum cells more easily, but the adhesiveness here is sufficient as long as the stratum corneum cells adhere to the capture part 1 and do not come off during the fixed time for collection, and it may be a general adhesive such as the adhesive part of glue or tape, or it may be a cream or gel-like preparation with very weak adhesive power as long as it can capture the stratum corneum cells. In such a case, the capture part 1 can be considered to be made of a material having adhesiveness, and the capture part 1 can be considered to have adhesiveness.

[0016] The support 2 in the present invention is a component of the present device for maintaining an arbitrary distance between the skin surface from which stratum corneum cells are to be collected and the capture part 1, and prevents the capture part 1 from contacting the skin. The shape, size, and material of the support 2 are not particularly limited, as long as it prevents the capture part 1 from contacting the skin. For example, the support 2 may be a cylindrical or rectangular prism-shaped enclosure with a hollow inside and an opening on the entire surface that contacts the skin when placed on the skin, and the capture part 1 may be held at an arbitrary part of the inner surface, or the support 2 may be a flat plate supported by a plurality of supports and the capture part 1 provided on the flat plate may be held. In addition, for example, when the stratum corneum cell collection area is covered with a hard adhesive tape with the adhesive surface facing the skin and not in contact with the skin, the adhesive support part of the adhesive tape functions as the support 2, and the adhesive itself functions as the capture part 1. In addition, there is no problem even if the capture part 1 is held on the entire surface of the support 2 facing the skin.

[0017] The fixing means 3 in the present invention is a means for fixing the support 2 at a desired position on the skin from which the stratum corneum cells are to be collected, and is a means for preventing the support 2 holding the capture unit 1 from moving away from the skin surface or from moving from the desired position. The fixing means 3 may be any means capable of fixing the support 2 at a desired position, and examples of such means include a means for attaching the support 2 to a desired position on the skin using a fixing device 3a such as a rubber band or string, or a means for attaching and fixing the support 2 to the skin using a fixing agent 3b such as an adhesive tape or an adhesive substance. When using the fixing device 3a, the structure, size, and material thereof are not particularly important. When using the fixing agent 3b, the components thereof are not particularly important.

[0018] The entire area of ​​the skin from which stratum corneum cells are to be collected does not necessarily need to be covered by the capture unit 1 and / or the support 2 to be sealed, and there is no problem even if there is a partial air flow path 6a or through-hole 6b that serves as the outside air intake 6. There is no particular limitation on the shape of this outside air intake 6, as long as it is in a state in which stratum corneum cells can be captured. When through-holes 6b are present as the outside air intake 6, the number of them is preferably about 1 to 10, and there is no problem with any shape, such as a circle, an ellipse, a polygon such as a square, or a sector. The size of the outside air intake 6 is sufficient as long as the presence of the outside air intake 6 allows air to circulate even slightly, and is sufficient as long as it does not interfere with the capture of stratum corneum cells. When such an outside air intake port 6 is provided, there is a possibility that some of the stratum corneum cells that are detached directly below the capture unit 1 will not be captured. On the other hand, since the skin from which the stratum corneum cells are to be collected is in contact with outside air, it is believed that the detachment of the stratum corneum cells occurs under more natural conditions. For example, gases such as water vapor are generated on the skin surface due to sweating and insensible perspiration, and when the skin from which keratinocytes are to be collected is sealed with the capture unit 1 and / or support 2, the humidity increases, which can cause effects such as making it difficult for the keratinocytes to detach from the skin surface, but by providing the outside air intake 6, the skin from which keratinocytes are to be collected comes into contact with the outside air, eliminating such effects. Furthermore, if air circulation occurs through the outside air intake 6, the movement of gas can stimulate the detachment of the keratinocytes.

[0019] Although it is possible to capture keratinocytes at any site on the skin, the size and shape of the keratinocyte sampling tool can be appropriately adjusted depending on the area to be sampled. For example, if a portion of the upper arm is to be collected, a rectangular parallelepiped stratum corneum cell collection tool (e.g., a shape of 1-4 cm square with one side being an opening) may be used. In addition, if the upper arm is to be collected, the size and shape may be such that the entire upper arm is covered.

[0020] In the present invention, "spending a certain period of time" refers to waiting for the passage of time from attachment of the stratum corneum cell collecting tool to the skin until the desired stratum corneum cell detachment occurs and the required stratum corneum cells can be captured, and this can be appropriately adjusted depending on the number of stratum corneum cells required or the stratum corneum cell detachment state of the required body part. There is no particular limit, but it is preferable to spend about 1 to 48 hours.

[0021] In the present invention, recovery of the capture part 1 is regarded as collection of stratum corneum cells, and the collected stratum corneum cells can be used for analysis, etc., by any method. For example, the turnover rate can be evaluated by removing the capture part 1 from the support 2, staining the stratum corneum cells attached to the capture part 1, and measuring the area. In addition, the entire support 2 holding the capture part 1 may be collected at once, or the support 2 holding the capture part 1 may be cut into any size and shape for use in analysis, etc.

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the stratum corneum cell collecting tool will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 10. Note that the following description is merely an example, and the numerical values ​​are also merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Either method makes it possible to collect stratum corneum cells detached from the skin without artificial peeling.

[0023] The stratum corneum cell collection tool in Figure 2 is equipped with an adhesive substance as a capture part 1 on the inner (skin side) surface of a support 2 having a highly rigid box-shaped structure. Furthermore, it functions as a fixing device 3a by being fixed to the skin surface with adhesive tape. Since the bottom of this box-shaped structure is open, stratum corneum cells detached from the skin surface located at the opening 4 adhere to the capture part 1, making it possible to collect the stratum corneum cells. At this time, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, the capturing portion 1 is provided on the entire inner surface including the surface facing the skin and the adjacent side surfaces.

[0024] The cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 shows a variation of the trapping part 1 of the stratum corneum cell collecting tool of FIG. 2, in which the trapping part 1 is provided only on an optional portion of the surface facing the skin, and not on the side surfaces.

[0025] The corneocyte collection tool in FIG. 5 is provided with a support 2 consisting of four highly rigid rectangular pillars (2b) and a flat plate-like structure (2a), and a trapping part 1 on all surfaces of the flat plate-like support 2a facing the skin. Furthermore, the support 2a is wrapped around the skin with a fixing band to form a fixing device 3a as a fixing means 3. When the corneocytes of the skin located at the opening 4 at the bottom of the corneocyte collection tool are detached, some of them are captured by the trapping part 1 with the flat plate-like structure. In this corneocyte collection tool, since the air flow path 6a as the outside air intake 6 is present between the four rectangular pillar-like supports 2b, some of the corneocytes detached directly below the trapping part 1 will not be captured. On the other hand, since the skin from which the corneocytes are to be collected is in contact with the outside air, it is considered that the detachment of the corneocytes occurs under more natural conditions.

[0026] The corneocyte collection tool in FIG. 6 has a cylindrical support 2 that is highly rigid and hollow, and has multiple through-holes 6b that serve as outside air intake ports 6. The entire inner surface of the support 2 is covered with an adhesive substance, and functions as a capture part 1. Furthermore, it functions as a fixture 3a when fixed to the skin with adhesive tape. Since the bottom surface of this corneocyte collection tool is open, when corneocytes detach from the skin in the area located at the opening 4, some of them are captured by the capture part 1. Since this corneocyte collection tool has through-holes 6b that serve as outside air intake ports 6, some of the corneocytes detached directly below the capture part 1 may not be captured. However, since the skin in the area to be collected is in contact with the outside air, it is considered that the detachment of the corneocytes occurs under more natural conditions.

[0027] The corneocyte collection tool in FIG. 7 is formed of a capture part 1 and a support 2 similar to those in FIG. 6. Furthermore, by fixing to the skin with an adhesive, a fixative 3b is formed as a fixing means 3. Because the bottom of this structure is open, when corneocytes detach from the skin in the area located at the opening 4, some of them are captured by the capture part 1. Because this corneocyte collection tool has a through-hole 6b which serves as an outside air intake 6, some of the corneocytes that detach directly below the capture part 1 may not be captured. However, because the skin at the site from which the corneocytes are to be collected is in contact with outside air, it is thought that the detachment of the corneocytes occurs under more natural conditions.

[0028] The keratinocyte collection tool in FIG. 8 has a highly rigid, hollow, pyramidal support 2 with a missing apex, and its entire inner surface is covered with an adhesive material to function as the capture part 1. It also has a fixture 3a, which is fixed to the skin with adhesive tape. The bottom of this structure is open, so that when keratinocytes detach from the skin within the opening area, some of them are captured by the capture part 1. This keratinocyte collection tool has a through hole 6b that serves as an outside air intake port 6 with the apex of the pyramidal shape missing, so even if the keratinocytes detach directly below the capture part 1, some of them may not be captured. However, since the skin at the site from which the keratinocytes are to be collected is in contact with the outside air, it is thought that the detachment of the keratinocytes occurs under more natural conditions.

[0029] The stratum corneum cell collecting tool of FIG. 9 also functions as a trapping part 1 because the support 2 having a highly rigid box-shaped structure is made of a material that easily becomes electrostatically charged, such as polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene. Furthermore, it functions as a fixing tool 3a by being fixed to the skin surface with adhesive tape. The bottom of this box-shaped structure is open, so that keratinocytes detached from the skin surface located at the opening 4 adhere to the capture part 1, making it possible to collect the keratinocytes. At this time, as shown in the cross-sectional view, the support 2 is provided with a capture portion on its entire inner surface, including the surface facing the skin and the adjacent side surfaces.

[0030] The corneocyte sampling tool in FIG. 10 has a hemispherical support 2 that is highly rigid and hollow inside, and has through-holes 6b that serve as air passages. The entire inner surface of the support 2 is covered with an adhesive, and functions as a capture part 1. Furthermore, it functions as a fixative 3b when it is fixed to the skin with an adhesive. The bottom of the corneocyte sampling tool is open, so that when corneocytes detach from the skin in the area located at the opening 4, some of them are captured by the capture part 1. Since the corneocyte sampling tool has through-holes 6b that serve as the outside air intake 6, some of the corneocytes that detach directly below the capture part 1 may not be captured. However, since the skin in the area to be sampled is in contact with the outside air, it is considered that the detachment of the corneocytes occurs under more natural conditions. EXAMPLES

[0031] Hereinafter, the method of using the stratum corneum cell collecting tool will be described with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows an example of stratum corneum cell collection using the stratum corneum cell collection tool of the present invention. The support 2 holding the capture part 1 of the stratum corneum cell collection tool was made by processing a plastic adhesive tape. As shown in the upper left of FIG. 1, the plastic adhesive tape was processed so that the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape was the inner box-shaped structure and one side was an opening 4. The bottom part in the figure is the opening 4. In this case, the plastic adhesive tape box-shaped structure has two parts: an outer plastic skeleton and an inner adhesive. The inner adhesive area corresponds to the capture part 1, and the outer plastic skeleton part corresponds to the support 2. The bottom left of FIG. 1 shows this stratum corneum cell collection tool placed on the skin with the opening facing the skin and fixed to the skin with a surgical tape for skin (fixing means 3a). In this state, this structure has the support 2 holding the capture part 1 and the fixing means 3, and is therefore the stratum corneum cell collection tool of the present invention. When the keratinocytes of the skin that come into contact with the opening 4 of this keratinocyte collection tool naturally detach due to turnover or the like, they leave the skin surface and attach to the capture part 1 of this keratinocyte collection tool, making it possible to collect the keratinocytes. At this time, the keratinocytes to be collected leave the skin surface only by natural detachment, so artificial peeling for collection does not occur.

[0033] Using the method shown in Figure 1, the stratum corneum cell collection tool was placed on the cheeks and inner arms of four subjects (a total of eight points) for eight hours in an attempt to collect stratum corneum cells.Stratum corneum cells were collected at all points, with approximately 100 to 300 stratum corneum cells being collected.This confirmed that the present invention makes it possible to collect stratum corneum cells that have detached from the skin without artificial peeling. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1. Capture section 2...Support 2a Square pillar-shaped support 2b: Support for flat plate structure 3.Fixing means 3a...fixture 3b Fixative 4. Opening 5. Skin 6. Fresh air intake 6a Air passage 6b··Through-hole

Claims

1. A stratum corneum cell sampling tool having a capture part 1 for capturing stratum corneum cells, The method includes the steps of: holding the capture unit 1 at a location where stratum corneum cells can be collected from an arbitrary collection target area of ​​the skin; and providing a support 2 for maintaining the capture unit 1 at an arbitrary distance from the skin so that the capture unit 1 does not come into contact with the skin; The stratum corneum cell collecting tool comprises fixing means 3 for fixing the support 2 to the skin.

2. The capture part 1 is characterized in that it has adhesiveness. The stratum corneum cell collecting tool according to claim 1 .

3. The fixing means 3 fixes the support 2 to any part of the skin by adhesion or bonding. The stratum corneum cell collecting tool according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The capture unit 1 is electrostatically charged. The stratum corneum cell collecting tool according to claim 1 .

5. Using the stratum corneum cell sampling tool according to claim 1 or 2, (Step 1) fixing the stratum corneum cell collecting tool to a desired site on the skin; (Step 2) A step of allowing a certain period of time for the stratum corneum cells to detach; (Step 3) Removing the stratum corneum cell sampling tool from the skin A method for collecting stratum corneum cells.

Images