Apparatus and method for applying a topical composition guided by projected datums - Patent Application 20070123633

Abstract

To provide a device and method for application of a composition to a treatment surface (e.g., skin).SOLUTION: The device may include: an optical emitter projecting fiducials to skin; a detector obtaining image data corresponding to an image of an area of skin marked with the fiducials; an applicator applying the composition to a location within the skin area; and a processing arrangement. The processing arrangement is for receiving the image data, analyzing the image data to determine the morphology of the skin area based on the fiducials captured within the image, identifying, based on the morphology, a region within the image corresponding to the location aimed by the applicator arrangement, analyzing the image data to determine whether the identified region corresponds to a skin artifact, and directing the applicator arrangement to selectively apply the composition to the location when the skin artifact is detected from the identified region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (Priority Claim) This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 785,482, filed December 27, 2018, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] FIELD OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to devices and methods for applying compositions to treatment surfaces such as keratinous surfaces (e.g., skin, hair or nails) or enamel (e.g., teeth), and more particularly to devices and methods for selectively applying topical compositions guided by imaging of the skin to identify areas to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the skin. [Background technology]

[0003] The application of conventional topical compositions often requires manual application that does not differentiate between areas of the skin whose appearance requires correction and areas of the skin that do not require any correction. For example, individuals who wish to cover or change the appearance of features on the skin (e.g., acne, scars, age spots, etc.) typically apply a foundation base layer of cosmetics over the entire surface of the skin to create a uniform appearance, which may result in an unnatural or caked appearance. Applying cosmetics indiscriminately over large areas of the skin also leads to waste of materials, as cosmetics are also applied to areas of the skin that require little or no correction. However, it is also difficult to manually apply cosmetics only to areas of the skin that require correction with sufficient precision and control without creating an unnatural or uneven appearance. Furthermore, manual application of a continuous layer of topical composition may impart a film over large areas of the skin, which may cause an unpleasant and unnatural feeling on the skin. Such films over large areas of skin can also reduce the breathability of the skin and increase exposure of the skin to topical substances, which can increase the surface area of ​​the skin exposed to potential allergens and therefore increase the risk of the user having an unwanted or allergic reaction to the topical material. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for applying a composition to a treatment surface of a user, for example, the skin of the user's face. The method includes projecting a plurality of fiducials onto the treatment surface by an optical emitter, and acquiring image data by a detector arrangement corresponding to an image of an area of ​​the treatment surface marked with the fiducials. The method also includes analyzing the image data by a processing arrangement to determine a morphology of the area of ​​the treatment surface based on the fiducials captured in the image, and identifying by the processing arrangement an area in the image corresponding to a location within the area of ​​the treatment surface to which the applicator arrangement aims to apply the composition. The area is identified based on the morphology of the area of ​​the treatment surface. The method further includes analyzing the image data by the processing arrangement to determine whether the identified area in the image corresponds to an artifact, and selectively applying the composition to a location within the area of ​​the treatment surface by the applicator arrangement if an artifact is detected from the identified area.

[0005] A handheld device for applying a composition to a treatment surface is also described. The device comprises an optical emitter configured to project a plurality of fiducials onto the treatment surface, and a detector arrangement configured to acquire image data corresponding to an image of an area of ​​the treatment surface marked with the fiducials. The device also comprises an applicator arrangement configured to apply the composition to a location within the area of ​​the treatment surface. The device further comprises a processing arrangement configured to receive image data from the detector arrangement, analyze the image data to determine a morphology of the area of ​​the treatment surface based on the fiducials captured in the image, identify an area in the image corresponding to the location where the applicator arrangement is configured to apply the composition, analyze the image data to determine whether the identified area corresponds to an artifact, and if an artifact is detected from the identified area, instruct the applicator arrangement to selectively apply the composition to the location. The area is identified based on the morphology of the area of ​​the treatment surface.

[0006] These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the invention, including the drawings and the accompanying claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary device for applying a composition to a user's skin, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary method for selectively applying a topical composition to a user's skin, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of an apparatus for applying a composition to a substrate, according to Example I of the present application. [Figure 4] 4A-4C are diagrams illustrating example images that may be captured by the camera of the example device of FIG. [Figure 5a] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary set of calibration data obtained according to Example II of the present application. [Figure 5b] FIG. 5B shows another exemplary set of calibration data obtained according to Example II of the present application, comprising the data of FIG. 5a with additional interpolated data points. [Figure 5c] FIG. 13 shows a further exemplary set of calibration data having a look-up table correlating each pixel in an image with the distance between the optical emitter and the height of the skin marked by a fiducial projected by the optical emitter, obtained according to Example II of the present application. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary image frame of a camera showing application calibration data overlaid on pixels corresponding to fiducial marks imaged in the exemplary image by the camera for an exemplary area of ​​skin having a particular morphology, according to Example III of the present application. [Figure 7] 7 is a graphical representation of a curve corresponding to the morphology of an exemplary area of ​​skin determined using application calibration data and the projected fiducials of the exemplary image frame of FIG. 6. [Figure 8a]1 is an exemplary control image of hand skin without any projected optical fiducials. [Figure 8b] FIG. 8a is an exemplary image of the same area of ​​skin, where a checkerboard fiducial is projected onto the skin in both green and red light, and the image is simulated as being captured by a sensor in the green channel. [Figure 8c] FIG. 8b is an exemplary image of the same area of ​​skin as in FIG. 8b, with the same checkerboard fiducial projected in both green and red light, simulated as captured by the sensor in the red channel. [Figure 8d] FIG. 8c is an exemplary image of the same area of ​​skin as in FIG. 8c, with the same checkerboard fiducial projected in both green and red light, simulated as an image captured in the red channel normalized by data corresponding to the image captured in the green channel to reduce distortion of the checkerboard fiducial caused by changes in skin color and texture. [Figure 8e] 8c is an exemplary processed image produced by small vertical averaging and horizontal differentiation of the image of FIG. 8d to show the vertical edges of the checkerboard feature. [Figure 8f] FIG. 8c is an exemplary processed image produced as the absolute value of the image in FIG. 8e. [Figure 8g] FIG. 8C is an exemplary processed image produced by processing the image of FIG. 8f to average the checkerboard edges vertically along just two squares. [Figure 8h] FIG. 8c is an exemplary processed image that has been processed in a similar manner to the image of FIG. 8g, except in the lateral direction. [Figure 8i] FIG. 8H is an exemplary processed image obtained by multiplying the image of FIG. 8G with the image of FIG. 8H to reveal the reference points at the corners of the checkerboard pattern. [Figure 9a] FIG. 8c is a detailed view of the exemplary processed image of FIG. 8c with increased magnification. [Figure 9b] FIG. 8d is a detailed view of the exemplary processed image of FIG. 8d with increased magnification. [Figure 9c]FIG. 8e is a detailed view of the exemplary processed image of FIG. 8e with increased magnification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] As used herein, the term "flexel" refers to a small pixel-like area of ​​skin that corresponds to a single large pixel or a small number of pixels in a digitally acquired image. For example, a flexel may correspond to an area of ​​skin having an average diameter of about 1 / 15 to about 1 / 5 inch.

[0009] The term "intermediate spatial frequency" as used herein is further explained below. For example, image data corresponding to an image of skin can capture light reflectance over a spatial frequency band that measures the level of detail present in the image over a distance across the skin observed by the detector (e.g., camera) that generates the image data. The spatial frequency can be measured by the number of periodic elements, described as, for example, a periodic sinusoidal pattern corresponding to the period of alternating light and dark stripes, in the image over a distance across the skin observed by the detector. The spatial frequency of the image can be calibrated and / or normalized based on the distance at which the skin is imaged by the detector. It should be noted that spatial frequency as used herein does not measure the wavelength or color of light, but instead refers to the spatial wavelength of the detailed structure of the skin captured by the detector in the image. Data corresponding to the image in the spatial domain (e.g., in the form of pixels or frexels) can be processed by a computer processor using a Fourier transform function to obtain data related to the image in the spatial frequency domain. This spatial frequency domain relates to the optical resolution of the captured image, which is different from the wavelength or color of light. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the spatial frequency components of an image can be broadly divided into three different categories, including (1) high spatial frequency, (2) mid-spatial frequency, and (3) low spatial frequency, using any suitable method for image analysis, such as, for example, Fourier transform, filtering, etc. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the spatial frequency components with high spatial frequency correspond to light reflectances in the image that contribute to the appearance of sharp edges and fine details in the image. For example, in an image of skin, the spatial frequency components with high spatial frequency correspond to the features that appear as small natural variations in the skin, such as those derived from a person's genetic code, such as pores, hairs, hair follicles, cells, and the iris of the eye. The low spatial frequency corresponds to the light reflectances in the image that contribute to a broader visual appearance, such as the color of larger features, such as the nose, cheeks, etc. The remaining spatial frequency components between the low frequency and the spectral frequencies are referred to as mid-spatial frequencies.

[0010] A mid-spatial frequency band can be determined for the captured image. For example, a mid-spatial frequency band for a facial skin range can be different than a mid-spatial frequency band for a leg skin range. The mid-spatial frequency band can also depend on the underlying skin tone of the skin being imaged. In one example, the mid-spatial frequency of human skin can be in a range of about 0.03 cycles / mm to about 1.5 cycles / mm, or more specifically, about 0.05 cycles / mm to about 1.0 cycles / mm, and even more specifically, about 0.07 cycles / mm to about 0.5 cycles / mm.

[0011] As used herein, the term "gobo" refers to a stencil or template having any shape or pattern that is placed between a light source and the surface onto which the light source projects. Light from the light source passes through the gobo to project a desired light pattern. The projected light pattern may correspond to the pattern of the gobo.

[0012] The present application provides an apparatus and method for selectively applying a composition to a treatment surface. It is contemplated that the composition may be applied to any suitable treatment surface, such as the interface between a biological surface and an external environment (e.g., air), particularly a topical surface. Suitable biological surfaces may include keratinous surfaces (including, but not limited to, skin, hair, and / or nail surfaces), and enamel surfaces (e.g., dental surfaces). Preferably, the treatment surface is mammalian or human. Although exemplary embodiments relating to skin are discussed herein, it is contemplated that the apparatus and method of the present application may be used to selectively apply any suitable composition, particularly topical compositions, to a treatment surface. More specifically, the present application provides an apparatus and method for selectively applying a topical composition to skin (e.g., mammalian or human facial skin) to address skin artifacts (e.g., scars, wrinkles, blemishes, sun damage, age spots, etc.) that a user wishes to minimize or eliminate in appearance to improve the overall aesthetic appearance of the skin. The device of the present application analyzes an image of an area of ​​skin to identify where a composition should be applied to change the visual appearance of the skin, e.g., where a skin artifact is detected. More specifically, the device and method of the present application utilize projected optical fiducials to adjustably align areas in an image captured by a detector with an aiming location of an applicator to provide a more precise and / or accurate application of the composition at a desired location on the skin. For example, the device and method of the present application obtains image data corresponding to an image of skin marked with projected optical fiducials, analyzes the image data to align areas in the image with the aiming location of an applicator, and guides the applicator to selectively deposit the composition at a desired location on the skin, e.g., where a skin artifact is detected based on an analysis of the corresponding area in the image. In particular, the device and method of the present application can be used to apply a composition to facial skin. The composition can be a cosmetic composition and / or a skin treatment composition for improving the appearance and / or health of the skin.

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an exemplary device 100 for applying a topical composition to skin. In this embodiment, the device 100 is sized and shaped to be a handheld device designed to be held in the palm of a user's hand. The device 100 in this embodiment includes a head portion 102 and a handle portion 104. The handle portion 104 of the device 100 has an elongated shape that defines a cavity for accommodating the components therein. In some embodiments, the handle portion 104 is sized and shaped to be held in the palm of a user's hand. In other embodiments, the handle portion 104 is sized and shaped to be held by the fingertips of a user's hand.

[0014] The head portion 102 of the device 100 according to this embodiment includes an optical emitter 110 for projecting at least one fiducial onto the skin, and a detector arrangement 120 for acquiring image data corresponding to an image of the area of ​​the skin onto which the fiducial is projected. The head portion 102 of this embodiment also includes an applicator arrangement 130 for selectively applying a composition to an area of ​​the skin as guided by a processing arrangement 140 based on image data from the detector arrangement 120. In this configuration, the optical emitter 110 and the detector arrangement 120 are fixedly attached to the applicator arrangement 130, so that image data captured by the detector arrangement 120 can be analyzed by the processing arrangement 140 to match locations in the image with locations on the skin targeted by the applicator arrangement 130. In some embodiments, the optical emitter 110, the detector arrangement 120, and the applicator arrangement are part of a recessed portion 106 of the head portion 102 such that the recessed portion 106 does not contact the skin when the head portion 102 is placed over the area of ​​the skin to be treated.

[0015] The optical emitter 110 comprises any suitable reference light source for delivering a focused beam of light (e.g., visible light) to project at least one fiducial on the skin. For example, the optical emitter 110 comprises a light emitting diode (LED), specifically a focused LED, used to generate the fiducial, as described in more detail below. The focused LED in this embodiment comprises an LED emitter and a light emitting die with a small aperture that focuses the light from the emitter into a sharp beam for projecting the optical fiducial on the skin. Alternatively, the optical emitter 110 may comprise a laser that projects the fiducial on the skin. For example, the optical emitter 110 may comprise a 650 nm class 1 red laser or a blue (e.g., 465 nm) LED.

[0016] More specifically, the optical emitter 110 projects a number of fiducials onto the skin. For example, the optical emitter 110 may comprise a light source and a template (e.g., a gobo or holographic plate) through which light from the light source passes to project the fiducials onto the skin. In one embodiment, the optical emitter 110 may provide a light source that emits light that passes through a gobo to project the fiducials onto the skin by shading selected areas of the skin according to the pattern of the gobo, where solid areas of the gobo cast a shadow and cut-out areas of the gobo allow light to pass to project optical fiducial marks onto the skin. The template may be stenciled with any suitable pattern for generating fiducials for determining the morphology of the imaged area of ​​the skin and mapping locations on the skin to be aimed for application of the cosmetic composition by the applicator configuration 130 to corresponding areas (e.g., one or more pixels) in the image captured by the detector configuration 120. For example, the template may be stenciled with a number of pinholes, or alternatively a checkerboard pattern, as further described below in Example IV. Alternatively, in embodiments where the reference light source emits laser light, multiple fiducials can be projected onto the skin via the holographic plate. The multiple fiducials can be in the form of multiple point fiducials (which can be arranged in an array or any other suitable form) or a desired pattern (e.g., a checkerboard pattern). In one example, the holographic plate has a diffraction grating for diffracting a single laser light source passing through it to project multiple point fiducials. In another example, the holographic plate can be a phase difference holographic plate having multiple different surface shape elements for diffracting and / or phase shifting the laser light source to project a desired pattern. It is noted that the holographic plate provides efficient use of the reference laser light source for projecting multiple fiducials onto the skin, since it passes substantially all of the laser light source.

[0017] Preferably, at least three fiducials are projected at different locations within the imaged area of ​​the skin to provide a desired number of reference points within the image of that area for determining the morphology of the skin with a desired accuracy. The morphology of the skin may include, for example, the curvature and / or tilt of the skin, but may generally be considered as a determination of the three-dimensional shape of all or a portion of the surface of the imaged portion of the skin relative to the plane of the image, in order to understand where droplets emitted from the applicator arrangement 130 will land on the skin, as described in more detail below. In certain embodiments, the optical emitter 110 may project 25 or more fiducials onto the imaged area of ​​the skin.

[0018] In one embodiment, the detector arrangement 120 comprises at least one light source 121 for delivering light (e.g., visible light) from the optical emitter 110 to the area of ​​the skin where the fiducials are projected, and a sensor 122 for detecting the light, including the projected fiducials, reflected from the area of ​​the skin. The light source 121 may include any suitable light emitting element for illuminating the area of ​​the skin, for example, one or more LEDs. The light source 121 may also be selected and positioned to provide a sufficient amount of illumination on the area of ​​the skin to detect and / or measure the reflectance of the light by the skin. Preferably, the light sources 121 collectively provide a substantially uniform distribution of light across the area of ​​the skin being imaged. The sensor 122 may include any suitable components for detecting the reflectance of light from the skin. For example, the sensor 122 may be sensitive to the amount of reflected light of one or more wavelengths. Suitable sensors 122 may include, for example, a photographic or video camera (which may include different types of camera lenses), a photodiode and / or a phototransistor, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0019] Preferably, the light source 121 of the detector configuration 120 has a different wavelength than the reference light source of the optical emitter 110, so that the projected fiducials are easily distinguishable from the rest of the image obtained by the detector configuration. For example, the reference light source of the optical emitter 110 can emit red or blue light, whereas the light source 121 of the detector configuration 120 emits green light. In this exemplary embodiment, the sensor 122 of the detector configuration 120 can also comprise an RGB camera capable of detecting light in the red, green, and blue channels of the camera. A fiducial projected in red or blue light will only be sensed by the red or blue channel of the RGB camera, respectively, which is easily distinguishable from the illumination provided by the green light source 121 of the detector configuration 120, which will be detected in the green channel of the RBG camera. In another embodiment, the light source 121 can project blue light and the fiducials can be red light, which is also easily distinguishable using the RGB camera described above.

[0020] Alternatively, the light source 121 of the detector configuration 120 may be separated in time from the reference light source, such that the detector configuration 120 captures image data corresponding to a pair of images for each area of ​​skin, in no particular order: (1) a first image of the area of ​​skin illuminated by the light source 121 of the detector configuration 120 without a projected fiducial, and (2) a second image of the same area of ​​skin with a projected fiducial but not illuminated by the light source 121 of the detector configuration 120. The first image is then analyzed by the processing configuration 140 to match locations within the imaged area of ​​skin that are aimed by the applicator configuration 130 with corresponding areas in the first image. The same corresponding areas in the second image can be analyzed by the processing configuration 140 to determine whether a composition should be applied to that location on the skin.

[0021] The detector arrangement 120, including the light source 121 and the sensor 122, is operatively connected to the processing arrangement 140 to execute instructions stored on the computer-accessible medium 150. The processing arrangement 140 of this embodiment controls the light source 121 and receives and analyzes image data received from the sensor 122. The processing arrangement 140 may also be operatively connected to the optical emitter 110 to control the optical emitter 110, such that the sensor 122 can capture images with or without projected fiducials, as determined by the processing arrangement 140. As described further below, the captured image data with and without projected fiducials can be used in combination to reduce fiducial distortion caused by changes in skin color and texture. It is contemplated that the processing arrangement 140 and the computer-accessible medium 150 may be located anywhere inside or outside the device 100. In one embodiment, the processing arrangement 140 and the computer-accessible medium 150 are located within the handle portion 104, as shown in FIG. 1. The processing device 140 of this embodiment also controls the applicator arrangement 130, which selectively applies the composition to the desired flexels. The processing device 140 may be or may include all or part of a computer / processor, including, but not limited to, one or more microprocessors, which may use instructions stored on a computer-accessible medium 150 (e.g., a memory storage device). The computer-accessible medium 150 may be, for example, a non-transitory computer-accessible medium that includes executable instructions. The storage arrangement may be provided separately from the computer-accessible medium 150, which may provide the processing device 140 with instructions that configure the processing device 140 to perform certain exemplary procedures, processes, and methods.

[0022] The applicator arrangement 130 according to this embodiment includes at least one suitable composition application device for depositing a topical composition (e.g., a cosmetic composition and / or a skin treatment composition) onto the flexel. In use, the user preferably holds the device 100 so that the applicator arrangement 130 is perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the skin, such that the flexel to which the applicator arrangement 130 delivers droplets of topical composition is mapped exactly to the location identified in the image to which the composition is to be applied, or this mapping is within a predetermined margin of error such that slight positional deviations are not noticeable regardless of the skin morphology. Exemplary topical composition application devices in this embodiment include, for example, a sprayer (e.g., an electronic sprayer or an airbrush sprayer), a droplet control device, or any other suitable application device for applying the composition as small droplets at the desired location as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. In one exemplary embodiment, the applicator arrangement 130 includes a nozzle for depositing a pressurized liquid or viscous composition in the form of a pressurized mist onto the skin to form a thin coating layer at the desired location. The nozzle can be any suitable device for depositing a thin layer of the composition on the skin at a targeted location. In one exemplary embodiment, the nozzle can include a first chamber containing a liquid or viscous composition and a second chamber containing a propellant (e.g., compressed air or nitrogen gas) that applies pressure to the composition when a pulse of the composition is dispensed into the flexel but does not mix with the composition. In another example, the nozzle includes a first chamber containing a liquid or viscous composition and a second chamber containing a propellant that mixes with the composition when the composition is dispensed at a desired location. Although two exemplary embodiments of the nozzle are described above, it is contemplated that the device of the present application can include any suitable nozzle for dispensing droplets of pressurized composition, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0023] The applicator arrangement 130 is operatively connected to a reservoir 160 that contains a topical composition to be applied to the skin. In particular, the applicator arrangement 130 is fluidly connected to the reservoir 160 by a series of conduits, valves, and / or pressure sources. It is contemplated that the reservoir 160 may be contained anywhere within the device 100. In one exemplary embodiment, the reservoir 160 is contained within the handle portion 104 of the device 100, as shown in FIG. 1. The composition within the reservoir 160 is transferred from the reservoir 160 to the applicator arrangement 130 for application of the composition. In some embodiments, the reservoir 160 is a removable container that can be replaced when the contents are depleted. For example, the reservoir 160 can be a pressurized container that contains the composition to be applied to the skin.

[0024] The composition applied to the skin may include, for example, any suitable cosmetic ingredient for modifying the appearance of the skin, such as an opacifying agent, a color cosmetic, or any other suitable composition for enhancing the appearance of the skin. The composition may also include ingredients such as moisturizers for hydration, carriers, or benefit agents (e.g., beneficial compounds / compositions / extracts, or active ingredients) for treating and / or improving skin conditions, such as acne, hyperpigmentation, eczema, hives, vitiligo, psoriasis, rosacea, warts, shingles, herpes, pigmentation and tone, flushing / oxidative skin stress, wrinkles, brightening, sagging / elasticity, etc. Exemplary embodiments of benefit agents that may be incorporated into the composition are further described below.

[0025] A non-limiting list of useful hydration active benefit agents includes hyaluronic acid and humectants. Hyaluronic acid can be linear hyaluronic acid, crosslinked hyaluronic acid, or a mixture of linear hyaluronic acid and crosslinked hyaluronic acid. It can be in salt form, for example, sodium hyaluronate. A humectant is a compound (e.g., a hygroscopic compound) that is intended to increase the water content of the top layer of the skin. Examples of suitable humectants include, but are not limited to, glycerin, sorbitol, or trehalose, or salts or esters thereof.

[0026] A non-limiting list of benefit agents useful for acne includes benzoyl peroxide; retinoids including retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, retinyl acetate, and retinyl palmitate; hydroxy acids including, but not limited to, glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, salicylic acid, citric acid, and tartaric acid; sulfur, zinc PCA (zinc pyrrolidone carboxylic acid), allantoin (5-ureidohydantoin), rosemary, 4-hexylresorcinol, N-acetylglucosamine, gluconolactone, niacinamide, azelaic acid, and resveratrol.

[0027] A non-limiting list of useful pigmentation active benefit agents includes resorcinols such as niacinamide, 4-hexylresorcinol, curcuminoids (rust white (tetrahydrocurcumin), phytic acid, resveratrol, soy glycine soybean oil, gluconolactone, azelaic acid; and retinoids including retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, retinyl acetate, and retinyl palmitate; enzymes such as laccase, tyrosinase inhibitors, melanin degraders, melanosome transfer inhibitors including PAR-2 ​​antagonists, exfoliants, tanning agents, and the like. Examples of suitable tyrosinase inhibitors include vitamin C and its derivatives, vitamin E and its derivatives, kojic acid, arbutin, resorcinol, hydroquinone, flavones (e.g., licorice flavanoids, licorice root extract, mulberry root extract, Dioscorea copoda (Dioscorea copoda)), and the like. Examples of derivatives of vitamin C include, but are not limited to, ascorbic acid and its salts, ascorbic acid, hydroxypropyl glycerin ... Examples of derivatives of vitamin E include, but are not limited to, alpha-tocopherol, beta-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, delta-tocopherol, alpha-tocotrienol, beta-tocotrienol, gamma-tocotrienol, delta-tocotrienol, and mixtures thereof, tocopherol acetate, tocopherol phosphate, and natural extracts rich in vitamin E derivatives.Examples of resorcinol derivatives include, but are not limited to, resorcinol, 4-substituted resorcinols, such as 4-butylresorcinol (rucinol), 4-hexylresorcinol, phenylethylresorcinol, 4-alkylresorcinols such as 1-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-(2,4-dimethoxy-3-methylphenyl)-propane, and natural extracts rich in resorcinol. Examples of salicylates include, but are not limited to, 4-methoxypotassium salicylate, salicylic acid, acetylsalicylic acid, 4-methoxysalicylic acid, and salts thereof. In certain preferred embodiments, the tyrosinase inhibitor includes 4-substituted resorcinols, vitamin C derivatives, or vitamin E derivatives.

[0028] Non-limiting examples of flushing / antioxidant activity beneficial agents include water-soluble antioxidants, such as sulfhydryl compounds and their derivatives (e.g., sodium metabisulfite and N-acetyl-cysteine), lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid, resveratrol, lactoferrin, and ascorbic acid and ascorbic acid derivatives (e.g., ascorbyl palmitate and ascorbyl polypeptides). Oil-soluble antioxidants suitable for use in the compositions of the present invention include, but are not limited to, butylated hydroxytoluene, retinoids (e.g., retinol and retinyl palmitate), tocopherols (e.g., tocopherol acetate), tocotrienols, and ubiquinones. Natural extracts containing antioxidants suitable for use in the compositions of the present invention include, but are not limited to, extracts containing flavonoids and isoflavonoids and their derivatives (e.g., genistein and daidzein), extracts containing resveratrol, and the like. Examples of such natural extracts include grape seed, green tea, pine bark, propolis, and feverfew extract. By "feverfew extract" is meant an extract of the plant "Tanacetum parthenium," one particularly suitable feverfew extract being commercially available as about 20% active feverfew.

[0029] A non-limiting list of useful wrinkle active benefit agents includes N-acetylglucosamine, 2-dimethylaminoethanol, copper salts such as copper chloride, peptides such as argirline, syn-ake and those containing copper, coenzyme Q10, dill, blackberry, paulownia, Pichia anomala, and chicory, resorcinols such as 4-hexylresorcinol, curcuminoids, and retinoids including retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, retinyl acetate, and retinyl palmitate, and hydroxy acids including, but not limited to, glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, salicylic acid, citric acid, and tartaric acid.

[0030] A non-limiting list of useful whitening active benefit agents includes vitamin C and its derivatives such as ascorbic acid 2-glucoside, alpha-hydroxy acids such as lactic acid, glycolic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, or any combination of the above, beta-hydroxy acids such as salicylic acid, polyhydroxy acids such as lactobionic acid and gluconic acid.

[0031] A non-limiting list of beneficial agents useful for loose skin includes blackberry extract, cotin extract, feverfew extract, phyllanthus vulgaris extract, and bimetallic complexes having copper and / or zinc components. The bimetallic complexes having copper and / or zinc components may be, for example, copper-zinc citrate, copper-zinc oxalate, copper-zinc tartrate, copper-zinc malate, copper-zinc succinate, copper-zinc malonate, copper-zinc maleate, copper-zinc aspartate, copper-zinc glutamate, copper-zinc glutarate, copper-zinc fumarate, copper-zinc glucarate, copper-zinc polyacrylate, copper-zinc adipate, copper-zinc pimelate, copper-zinc suberate, copper-zinc azelate, copper-zinc sebacate, copper-zinc dodecanoate, or combinations thereof.

[0032] Additional skin benefit agents or actives may include those actives listed in the following paragraphs, some of which are listed above, but are included below to ensure a more complete list.

[0033] Examples of suitable additional benefit agents include skin lightening agents, darkening agents, anti-aging agents, topoelastin promoting agents, collagen promoting agents, anti-acne agents, sheen adjusting agents, antimicrobial agents (e.g., anti-yeast, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agents), anti-inflammatory agents, anti-parasitic agents, topical analgesics, sunscreens, photoprotectants, antioxidants, keratolytic agents, detergents / surfactants, moisturizers, nutrients, vitamins, energy enhancers, antiperspirants, skin astringents, deodorants, hair removers, hair growth enhancers, hair growth retarders, stabilizers, hydration enhancers, efficacy enhancers, anti-calluses agents, skin conditioning agents, anti-cellulite agents, fluorides, tooth whitening agents, anti-tartar agents and anti-tartar agents, malodor inhibitors (e.g., malodor masking agents) or pH altering agents.Examples of various suitable additional cosmetically acceptable actives include UV filters, such as, but not limited to, avobenzone (Parsol 1789), bisdisulizole disodium (Neo Heliopan AP), diethylaminohydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate (Uvinul A Plus), ecamsule (Mexoryl SX), methyl anthranilate, 4-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), cinoxate, ethylhexyl triazone (Uvinul T150), homosalate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (Parsol 5000), octyl methoxycinnamate (Octinoxate), octyl salicylate (Octisalate), padimate O (Escalol 507), phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid (Ensulizole), polysilicone-15 (Parsol SLX), trolamine salicylate, bemotrizinol (Tinosorb S), Benzophenone 1-12, Dioxybenzone, Drometrizole Trisiloxane (Mexoryl XL), Isocotrizinol (Uvasorb HEB), Octocrylene, Oxybenzone (Eusolex 4360), Sulisobenzone, Bisoctrizole (Tinosorb M), titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, carotenoids, free radical scavengers, spin traps, retinoids and retinoid precursors such as retinol, retinoic acid and retinyl palmitate, ceramides, polyunsaturated fatty acids, essential fatty acids, enzymes, enzyme inhibitors, minerals, hormones such as estrogen, steroids such as hydrocortisone, 2-dimethylaminoethanol, copper salts such as copper chloride, copper-containing peptides such as Cu:Gly-His-Lys, coenzyme Q10, amino acids such as proline, vitamins, lactobionic acid, acetyl coenzyme A, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, ribose, electron transporters such as NADH and FADH2, and other plant extracts such as oat, aloe vera, feverfew, soybean, shiitake mushroom extracts, and derivatives and mixtures thereof.

[0034] Examples of suitable skin lightening benefit agents include, but are not limited to, tyrosinase inhibitors, melanin degraders, melanosome transfer inhibitors (including PAR-2 ​​antagonists), exfoliants, sunscreens, retinoids, antioxidants, tranexamic acid, tranexamic acid cetyl ester hydrochloride, skin whitening agents, linoleic acid, adenosine monophosphate disodium salt, chamomile extract, allantoin, opacifiers, talc and silica, zinc salts, and the like.

[0035] Examples of suitable tyrosinase inhibitors include, but are not limited to, Vitamin C and its derivatives, Vitamin E and its derivatives, kojic acid, arbutin, resorcinol, hydroquinone, flavones (e.g., licorice flavanoids, licorice root extract, mulberry root extract, Dioscorea Coposita root extract, Saxifragaceae extract, etc.), ellagic acid, salicylates and derivatives, glucosamine and derivatives, fullerenes, hinokitiol, diacids, acetylglucosamine, 5,5'-dipropyl-biphenyl-2,2'-diol (Magnolignan), 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanol (4-HPB), combinations of two or more of these, and the like. Examples of vitamin C derivatives include, but are not limited to, ascorbic acid and its salts, ascorbic acid-2-glucoside, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, and natural extracts rich in vitamin C. Examples of vitamin E derivatives include, but are not limited to, α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, δ-tocopherol, α-tocotrienol, β-tocotrienol, γ-tocotrienol, δ-tocotrienol, and mixtures thereof, tocopherol acetate, tocopherol phosphate, and natural extracts rich in vitamin E derivatives. Examples of resorcinol derivatives include, but are not limited to, resorcinol, 4-substituted resorcinols (e.g., 4-alkylresorcinols such as 4-butylresorcinol (Rucinol), 4-hexylresorcinol (Synovea HR, Sytheon), phenylethylresorcinol (Symwhite, Symrise), 1-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-(2,4-dimethoxy-3-methylphenyl)-propane (Nibitol, Unigen) and resorcinol-rich natural extracts. Examples of salicylates include, but are not limited to, 4-methoxypotassium salicylate, salicylic acid, acetylsalicylic acid, 4-methoxysalicylic acid and their salts.In certain preferred embodiments, the tyrosinase inhibitor includes a 4-substituted resorcinol, a vitamin C derivative, or a vitamin E derivative. In more preferred embodiments, the tyrosinase inhibitor includes phenylethylresorcinol, 4-hexylresorcinol, or ascorbyl-2-glucoside.

[0036] Examples of suitable melanin degraders include, but are not limited to, peroxides and enzymes (e.g., peroxidase and ligninase). In certain preferred embodiments, melanin inhibitors include peroxides and ligninase.

[0037] Examples of suitable melanosome transfer inhibitors include PAR-2 ​​antagonists (e.g., soybean trypsin inhibitor or Bowman-Birk inhibitor), vitamin B3 and derivatives (e.g., niacinamide), essential soybean, whole soybean, soybean extract. In certain preferred embodiments, the melanosome transfer inhibitor includes soybean extract or niacinamide.

[0038] Examples of exfoliants include, but are not limited to, alpha-hydroxy acids (e.g., lactic acid, glycolic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, or any combination of any of the foregoing), beta-hydroxy acids (e.g., salicylic acid, polyhydroxy acids such as lactobionic acid and gluconic acid), and mechanical exfoliants (e.g., microdermabrasions). In certain preferred embodiments, the exfoliant includes glycolic acid or salicylic acid.

[0039] Examples of sunscreens include avobenzone (Parsol 1789), bisdisulizole disodium (Neo Heliopan AP), diethylaminohydroxybenzoylhexylbenzoate (Uvinul A Plus), ecamsule (Mexoryl SX), methyl anthranilate, 4-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), cinoxate, ethylhexyl triazone (Uvinul T150), homosalate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (Parsol 5000), octyl methoxycinnamate (Octinoxate), octyl salicylate (Octisalate), padimate O (Escalol 507), phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid (Ensulizole), polysilicone-15 (Parsol SLX), trolamine salicylate, and bemotrizinol (Tinosorb S), benzophenone 1-12, dioxybenzone, drometrizole trisiloxane (Mexoryl XL), iscotrizinol (Uvasorb HEB), octocrylene, oxybenzone (Eusolex 4360), sulisobenzone, bisoctrizole (Tinosorb M), titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and the like.

[0040] Examples of retinoids include, but are not limited to, retinol (vitamin A alcohol), retinal (vitamin A aldehyde), retinyl acetate, retinyl propionate, retinyl linoleate, retinoic acid, retinyl palmitate, isotretinoin, tazarotene, bexarotene, adapalene, combinations of two or more thereof, etc. In certain preferred embodiments, the retinoid is selected from the group consisting of retinol, retinal, retinyl acetate, retinyl propionate, retinyl linoleate, and combinations of two or more thereof. In certain more preferred embodiments, the retinoid is retinol.

[0041] Examples of antioxidants include, but are not limited to, water-soluble antioxidants such as sulfhydryl compounds and their derivatives (e.g., sodium metabisulfite and N-acetyl-cysteine, glutathione), lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid, stilbenoids (e.g., resveratrol and derivatives), lactoferrin, iron and copper chelators, and ascorbic acid and ascorbic acid derivatives (e.g., ascorbyl-2-glucoside, ascorbyl palmitate and ascorbyl polypeptide). Oil-soluble antioxidants suitable for use in the compositions of the present invention include, but are not limited to, butylated hydroxytoluene, retinoids (e.g., retinol and retinyl palmitate), tocopherols (e.g., tocopherol acetate), tocotrienols, and ubiquinone. Natural extracts containing antioxidants suitable for use in the compositions of the present invention include, but are not limited to, extracts containing flavonoids and isoflavonoids and their derivatives (e.g., genistein and daidzein), extracts containing resveratrol, and the like. Examples of such natural extracts include grape seed, green tea, black tea, white tea, pine bark, feverfew, parthenolide-free feverfew, oat extract, blackberry extract, cognac extract, soybean extract, pomelo extract, wheat germ extract, hesperedin, grape extract, purslane extract, licochalcone, chalcone, 2,2'-dihydroxychalcone, primrose extract, propolis, and the like.

[0042] In some preferred embodiments, benefit agents useful against acne include, but are not limited to, salicylic acid, zinc PCA (zinc pyrrolidone carboxylic acid), allantoin (5-ureidohydantoin), rosemary, 4-hexylresorcinol, N-acetylglucosamine, gluconolactone, niacinamide, azelaic acid, and resveratrol.

[0043] In some preferred embodiments, the list of useful pigmentation active benefit agents includes tetrahydrocurcumin, phytic acid, resveratrol, soybean glycine soybean oil, gluconolactone, laccase, 4-hexylresorcinol, N-acetylglucosamine, gluconolactone, niacinamide, azelaic acid, and resveratrol.

[0044] In some preferred embodiments, the list of useful active benefit agents that simultaneously treat acne and pigmentation includes 4-hexylresorcinol, N-acetylglucosamine, gluconolactone, niacinamide, azelaic acid, and resveratrol.

[0045] The composition may be a cosmetic composition (which may or may not include additional active ingredients for treating the skin) that is applied to the skin to modify or minimize the appearance of artifacts based on image data provided by the detector arrangement 120. In one particular embodiment, the composition includes one or more reflectance modifiers (RMAs) (any ingredient useful for altering the reflectance of the skin). For example, suitable RMAs may include inks, dyes, pigments, bleaches, chemical altering agents, and other substances that can be used to alter the reflectance of the skin. Some suitable RMAs may include transparent RMAs, such as dyes or diluted pigments. Other suitable RMAs may include opaque RMAs with high refractive index particles. In particular, the high refractive index particles may include particles with a refractive index of 2.0 or greater. In one specific example, the RMA may include particles of titanium dioxide. In particular, the titanium dioxide particles may be uniformly distributed and / or suspended in the cosmetic composition.

[0046] The device 100 according to this embodiment further comprises a power source 170 for providing power to control and operate the device 100. It is contemplated that the power source 170 may be located anywhere within the device 100 or may be external to the device 100. In one exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the power source 170 is housed within the handle portion 104 of the device 100 and operably connected to the optical emitter 110, the detector arrangement 120, the applicator arrangement 130, and / or the processing arrangement 140. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of known suitable power sources may be used. For example, the power source 170 may include a battery or a connection to an external power source. In particular, the power source 170 may include a rechargeable battery device.

[0047] As described above, the apparatus and method of the present application utilize fiducials projected by the optical emitter 110 to adjustably align the image captured by the detector configuration 120 with the location on the skin targeted by the applicator configuration 130. For example, the optical emitter 110 can be positioned at an angle relative to the detector configuration 120 and / or the applicator configuration 130. Thus, as shown in Example I below, the fiducials projected onto the surface of the skin by the optical emitter 110 will mark the skin at different locations depending on the distance between the optical emitter 110 and the skin and the angle of the optical emitter 110 relative to the surface of the skin. As a result, the fiducials are captured by the detector configuration 120 in different areas within the image of the skin depending on the distance between the optical emitter 110 and the skin. These fiducials can thus be used to generate fiducial calibration data that correlates areas within the image captured by the detector configuration 120 with the morphology of the skin.

[0048] More specifically, the reference calibration data correlates areas in the reference calibration image of the substrate imaged by the detector configuration 120 with the distance between the optical emitter 110 and each of the reference calibration substrates. For example, the reference calibration data can be obtained empirically using a calibration substrate having a flat or substantially flat surface, preferably with a grid-like guide line, such as, for example, graph paper. A calibration substrate marked with fiducials projected from the optical emitter 110 can be imaged by the detector configuration 120 from a number of known distances to generate data corresponding to the reference calibration image, providing reference calibration data for generating a correlation between the areas marked by each of the fiducials in the reference calibration image and the known calibration distances, for example, as further illustrated in Example II below. Although a minimum of two known distances is required to generate a correlation (e.g., a linear correlation), using three or more known distances can generate more precise and accurate reference calibration data, further align the distances with the areas marked by each of the fiducials in the reference calibration image, and adjust for additional sources of distortion (e.g., lens distortion from the detector configuration 120).

[0049] The reference calibration data may include empirically measured reference calibration data. In some embodiments, the reference calibration data may include data interpolated from the empirical data to generate a resolution matrix that correlates selected regions in the reference calibration image with an interpolated distance between the optical emitter 110 and the substrate. More specifically, the reference calibration data may include data interpolated from the empirical data to generate a lookup table that correlates, for each of the references, every pixel in the reference calibration image with a distance. The processing arrangement 140 analyzes image data relating to the image of the skin received from the detector arrangement 120 and compares the image data to the reference calibration data to determine the skin morphology. Because real-time or near real-time interpolation of the reference calibration data is not required, the lookup table may provide a more convenient way for the processing arrangement 140 to compare the image data to the reference calibration data.

[0050] As mentioned above, image data obtained by detector configuration 120 may be distorted due to the angled positioning of detector configuration 120. Similarly, as further shown in Example I below, composition applied by applicator configuration 130 may land on a different flexel than would be expected if the distance between applicator configuration 130 and the skin were not taken into account. Thus, composition applied by applicator configuration 130 is also imaged by detector configuration 120 in different regions within the image of the skin depending on the morphology of the skin.

[0051] The processing configuration 140 can use the morphology determined from the image data to identify regions in the images captured by the detector configuration 120 that correspond to flexels aimed by the applicator configuration 130. For example, the regions can be identified by comparing the determined morphology to applicator calibration data that correlates regions in one or more images captured by the detector configuration 120 that correspond to deposition of the composition from the applicator configuration 130 with skin morphology. For example, the applicator calibration data correlates the distance between the applicator configuration 130 and the substrate (e.g., skin) with regions in an applicator calibration image of a calibration substrate imaged by the detector configuration 120. For example, the applicator calibration can be generated in a manner similar to that described above for the reference calibration data. Specifically, applicator configuration 130 deposits the composition on a calibration substrate having a flat or nearly flat surface, preferably having a grid-like guide lines, such as graph paper, positioned at a known distance from detector configuration 120, and detector configuration 120 subsequently images the calibration substrate with the composition to generate data corresponding to an applicator calibration image. In a manner similar to that described above for the reference calibration data, and as further described below in Example II, this applicator calibration process can be performed using two or more known distances to generate data corresponding to multiple applicator calibration images and provide applicator calibration data correlating these distances with areas imaged in the applicator calibration image corresponding to deposition of the composition. Like the reference calibration data, the applicator calibration data may include empirically measured data or may include interpolated data based on empirically measured data, such as, for example, a resolution matrix that correlates selected areas in the applicator calibration image with an interpolated distance between the applicator configuration 130 and the substrate, and / or a lookup table that correlates all pixels in the applicator calibration image with a distance.

[0052] The reference calibration data and / or applicator calibration data may be generated prior to a first use of device 100, or prior to a usage session involving multiple passes over a portion of the skin. The reference calibration data and / or applicator calibration data may be stored on computer-accessible medium 150, or in a storage arrangement separate from computer-accessible medium 150, located internal or external to device 100. Processing arrangement 140 is operatively connected to computer-accessible medium 150 or the separate storage arrangement to retrieve the reference calibration data and / or applicator calibration data therefrom.

[0053] In use, the head portion 102 is placed over the area of ​​skin to be treated. In use, the device 100 can be used to image multiple different areas of the skin. For example, the head portion 102 can be moved across the surface of the skin to cause the device 100 to successively image different areas of the skin (at any desired frame rate) to obtain image data that can be analyzed to selectively apply the composition to desired flexels (locations on the skin). More specifically, a user can move the head portion 102 back and forth across the surface of the skin in multiple passes to cause the device 100 to review previously treated areas to detect missed or incompletely treated artifacts and apply the composition to the identified artifacts on the skin.

[0054] The present application also includes a method for selectively applying a composition to skin. An exemplary method 200 is shown in FIG. 2. In step 202, a user can begin using the device 100 by placing the head portion 102 of the device 100 against a surface of the skin, for example, facial skin. The head portion 102 covers an area of ​​the skin, for example, an area that constitutes a frame to be imaged and analyzed by the device 100. As shown in step 204, the optical emitter 110 projects a fiducial onto the area of ​​the skin on which the device 100 is placed, as described above. In step 206, the detector arrangement 120 images the area to obtain image data related to the area of ​​the skin on which the fiducial was projected. In step 208, the processing arrangement 140 analyzes the image data from the detector arrangement 120 to determine the morphology of the area of ​​the skin on which the device 100 is placed. In particular, the processing arrangement 140 determines the morphology of the area of ​​the skin by analyzing the image data and comparing the image data to the reference calibration data. For example, the processing arrangement 140 determines, for each fiducial, the distance between the optical emitter 110 and the height of the location on the skin where the fiducial is projected, using the correlation provided by the fiducial calibration data.

[0055] It is also contemplated that step 208 may include further adjusting, manipulating, and / or processing the image data under various conditions to reduce fiducial distortions caused by changes in skin color and texture, for example using various techniques such as those exemplary methods described in Example IV below. The morphology of the area of ​​skin on which device 100 is placed can be obtained by analyzing this further processed data. In one example, image data corresponding to an image of the area of ​​skin marked with fiducial marks can be adjusted using a second set of image data corresponding to an image of the same area captured by detector arrangement 120 without fiducial markings. The adjusted image data can then be analyzed to determine the morphology of the area of ​​skin on which device 100 is placed. In some embodiments, the image data can be acquired using a first sensor for detecting light of a first color, and the second set of image data can be acquired using a second sensor for detecting light of a second color.

[0056] In step 210, processing configuration 140 uses the morphology determined in step 208 to identify locations within the image obtained by detector configuration 120 in step 206 that correspond to the aiming locations of applicator configuration 130 (i.e., flexels where droplets emitted from each composition application nozzle of applicator configuration 130 will be applied at the current alignment of the device to the skin). Specifically, processing configuration 140 identifies areas where composition will be applied by applicator configuration 130, e.g., by comparing the morphology to applicator calibration data, as further illustrated in Example III below.

[0057] In step 212, the processing arrangement 140 further analyzes the image data to determine whether the region in the image acquired by the detector arrangement 120 identified in step 210 contains a skin artifact having a size that warrants application of the composition (i.e., a size above a predetermined threshold level). As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the image data corresponding to the identified region can be analyzed by the processing arrangement 140 using any suitable method to identify the artifact. For example, the image data of the identified region can be analyzed by the processing arrangement 140 to determine whether the region represents a skin artifact whose appearance should be modified by comparing the reflectance captured in the identified region of the image to the average reflectance of the entire image. It is also contemplated that the processing arrangement 140 can utilize further data, including the morphology determined in step 208, to determine whether the region represents a skin artifact. In one exemplary embodiment of step 212, a region identified as having a reflectance that significantly deviates from the average reflectance of the entire image frame associated therewith is determined to correspond to a skin artifact. In another exemplary embodiment, image data corresponding to the region identified in step 210 is analyzed by processing arrangement 140 to determine whether the image data corresponding to the region identified in step 210 includes spectral components within a mid-spatial frequency band of the entire frame of imaged skin (i.e., the image obtained by the detector arrangement of step 206) that have a high intensity relative to the balance of the image. Locations where the intensity of the mid-spatial frequency is above a threshold level are identified as artifacts where a cosmetic composition should be applied. Preferably, the mid-spatial frequency band is determined for each frame based on the reflectance of the entire imaged area.

[0058] Locations with strong contributions in the mid-spatial frequencies of the image may include artifacts whose appearance a user may wish to modify or minimize, for example. Mid-spatial frequencies are believed to contribute a small percentage (e.g., about 5%) to the overall spatial frequency of the image of the skin and / or to the visual perception of the skin. However, the spatial frequency components in the mid-spatial frequencies are believed to be particularly visually noticeable and therefore contribute a disproportionately large image to the perceived aesthetic appearance of the skin. Therefore, selectively applying a topical composition to frexels that correspond to details in the mid-spatial frequencies of the image of the skin to modify or minimize the appearance of the skin may provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the skin. Selectively modifying or minimizing the appearance of only frexels that correspond to mid-spatial frequencies may be particularly beneficial to provide visually significant aesthetic changes to the appearance of the skin while modifying only a limited number of frexels on the skin. Thus, a small amount of topical composition may be applied to the skin while still providing aesthetically significant improvements to the appearance of the skin. Further apparatus and methods for detecting artifacts using reflectance and mid-spatial frequency analysis are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,007,062, 9,020,184, and 10,092,082, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0059] If a skin artifact is detected at step 212, the method proceeds to step 214. At step 214, the processing arrangement 140 instructs the applicator arrangement 130 to apply topical composition to the location of the identified artifact within the imaged area of ​​the skin. If a skin artifact is not detected at step 212, the method 200 does not apply topical composition anywhere within the imaged area of ​​the skin and the method proceeds to step 216. At step 216, the device 100 is moved by the user to a new frame or area of ​​skin and the process is repeated. This movement can be detected by the device 100 by any suitable means, such as, for example, an accelerometer or image analysis. The method 200 then returns to step 204 to project, image, analyze, and optionally apply topical composition to this new area of ​​skin as determined by the device 100 in the same manner as described above. It should be noted that method 200 may be interrupted and terminated by the user prior to any one of steps 204-216 by any suitable action, such as, for example, removing device 100 from the skin or turning off device 100, and in particular device power source 170.

[0060] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the exemplary embodiments described herein may be implemented in any number of forms, such as as separate software modules, as a combination of hardware and software, etc. For example, the exemplary method may be an embodiment of one or more programs including lines of code stored in a non-transitory storage medium and executable by one or more processor cores or separate processors when compiled. A system according to an embodiment includes a number of processor cores and a set of instructions that execute on the multiple processor cores to perform the exemplary method described above. The processor cores or separate processors may be incorporated into or communicate with any suitable electronic device, such as an on-board processing arrangement within the device or a processing arrangement external to the device, such as a mobile computing device, a smartphone, a computing tablet, a computing device, etc., that may communicate with at least a portion of the device. EXAMPLES

[0061] Example I Example I is provided to illustrate alignment of a cosmetic spray with a camera guided by projected fiducials in an apparatus positioned at different distances away from a flat surface of a substrate (e.g., skin). FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a probe 310 in an exemplary apparatus, where the probe 310 is not in direct contact with the skin when the apparatus is positioned over an area of ​​skin to be treated. The probe 310 includes an optical emitter 330 that projects at least one optical fiducial 332 onto the flat surface of the skin, a cosmetic applicator 340 for delivering a spray of cosmetic 342, and a camera 350. The exemplary probe 310 includes a light source 355 that illuminates the skin for the camera 350. In use, the exemplary probe 310 can be positioned over an area of ​​skin. For illustrative purposes, different magnitudes of distances between the probe 310 and the flat surface of the skin are shown in FIG. 3, for example, a short distance 321, a medium distance 322, and a long distance 323. An exemplary image 400 that can be captured by the camera 350 is shown in FIG. 4.

[0062] 3, the optical emitter 330 is mounted at an angle to the skin such that the optical fiducials 332 projected onto the skin at different distances away from the probe 310 mark the skin at different locations on the skin, such that the fiducials are imaged at different locations in the image 400 depending on the distance between the probe 310 and the skin. For example, when the skin is at a short distance 321 from the probe 310, the projected fiducials 332 mark the skin at location 334. This fiducial mark at location 334 on the skin may be imaged by the camera at pixel 434 in the image 400 shown in FIG. 4. In another example, when the skin is at an intermediate distance 322 from the probe 310, the projected fiducials 332 mark the skin at location 336. This fiducial mark at location 336 on the skin may be imaged by the camera at pixel 436 in the image 400. In a further example, when the skin is located at a large distance 323 from the probe 310, the projected fiducial 332 marks the skin at location 338. This fiducial mark on the skin at location 338 can be imaged by the camera at pixel 438 in the image 400.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 3, for example, a spray of cosmetic 342 delivered by cosmetic applicator 340 is aimed at a location 344 on the skin located at a short distance 321 from probe 310. As another example, the spray of cosmetic 342 is aimed at a location 346 on the skin located at a medium distance 322 from the device. As a further example, the spray of cosmetic 342 is aimed at a location 348 on the skin located at a long distance 323 from the device. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, cosmetic applicator 340 is positioned perpendicular to the skin and thus dispenses a spray of cosmetic in a direction perpendicular to the skin. Thus, cosmetic applicator 340 positioned perpendicular to the skin will dispense cosmetic to the same location on the two-dimensional surface of the skin regardless of the distance between probe 310 and the skin. However, if cosmetic applicator 340 is positioned at an angle to the surface of the skin, the cosmetic will be applied to a different location on the skin.

[0064] Although the cosmetic applicator 340 is positioned perpendicular to the skin and aims at the same location on the two-dimensional surface of the skin regardless of the distance between the probe 310 and the skin, the camera 350 is mounted at an angle to the cosmetic applicator 340 and the surface of the skin and may therefore impart distortion to the captured image depending on the distance between the probe 310 and the skin. Further distortion in the image captured by the camera 350 may be due to distortion of the camera lens. For example, cosmetic applied at location 344 may be imaged by the camera 350 at pixel 444 in the image 400 shown in FIG. 4. Similarly, cosmetic applied at locations 346 and 348 may be imaged by the camera at pixels 446 and 448, respectively.

[0065] Example II In Example II, to illustrate an exemplary calibration of an area in an image captured by a camera 350 according to the distance at which a substrate is positioned from a probe 310, a device coordinate system 360, a skin flexel coordinate system 370, and a pixel coordinate system 380 are now described. The device coordinate system 360 shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to a three-dimensional arrangement of the probe 310. As shown in FIG. 3, the positions of the camera 350, the optical emitter 330, and the cosmetic applicator 340 are fixed within the device coordinate system 360. The device coordinate system 360 includes a position X axis and a height Z axis shown in FIG. 3, and a position Y axis that extends perpendicularly from the XZ plane shown in FIG. 3. The skin flexel coordinate system 370 shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to a two-dimensional arrangement across the surface of the skin. The skin flexel system 370 includes a position X axis and a position Y axis shown in FIG. 3. In this example, the cosmetic applicator 340 is positioned perpendicular to the skin, so that the x-axis and y-axis of the skin flexel coordinate system 370 coincide with the x-axis and y-axis of the device coordinate system 360 described above. The pixel coordinate system 380 shown in Figure 4 corresponds to a two-dimensional arrangement across the image frame of the camera 350. This pixel coordinate system 380 includes a positional x-axis and a positional y-axis shown in Figure 4 that correspond to a two-dimensional arrangement of pixels across the image 400 captured by the camera 350.

[0066] In this embodiment, the apparatus is arranged similarly to embodiment I above, but instead, the distances 321, 322, and 323 shown in FIG. 3 are known distances for generating reference calibration images of the calibration substrate to provide a correlation between each distance and each region in the calibration image for the fiducial 332. A calibration substrate having a grid of guide lines (e.g., graph paper) can be imaged by the camera 350 from the distances 321, 322, and 323 to generate empirical reference calibration data corresponding to the reference calibration images. As described above in embodiment I, the fiducial 332 projected onto the substrate positioned at a short distance 321 from the probe 310 is imaged by the camera at pixel 434 in the image 400. Similarly, the fiducial 332 projected onto the substrate positioned at a medium distance 322 and a long distance 323 from the probe 310 is imaged by the camera at pixel 436 and pixel 438 in the image 400, respectively. The location on the calibration substrate for each reference calibration image can be determined using the grid of guide lines. Thus, the location on the calibration substrate marked by fiducial 332 (in this example shown along the X and Y axes of skin flexel coordinate system 370, which also coincide with the X and Y axes of device coordinate system 360) can be identified using the grid guide lines. The distance between the height of the location on the calibration substrate marked by fiducial 332 and probe 310 (shown along the Z axis of device coordinate system 360) corresponds to a known distance (e.g., distances 321, 322, or 323) used to generate data corresponding to the reference calibration image. Thus, if image data for an image of an area of ​​skin captured by camera 350 shows fiducial 332 at pixel 434 in image 400 (as shown along the X and Y axes of pixel coordinate system 380), the image data can be compared to the empirical reference calibration data to determine the location in the Z axis of device coordinate system 360 for the location marked by fiducial 332. Pixels in image 400 can be further calibrated, if desired, to positions in the X and Y axes of skin flexel coordinate system 370 with respect to locations marked by fiducials 332 .

[0067] In this example, three known distances are used to generate the empirical reference calibration data, so that three pixels in the reference calibration image captured by the camera 350 are empirically calibrated to the three known distances used for the calibration. As shown in FIG. 5a, three pixels 434, 436, and 438 in the image 400 may correspond to calibration data entries 434a, 436a, and 438a, respectively, which can each be correlated to a known distance (e.g., in the Z-axis of the device coordinate system 360) used for the calibration. The numerical values ​​shown in FIG. 5a are for purposes of illustrating the reference calibration data described herein and do not necessarily correlate to any particular unit of measurement. For example, pixel 434 correlates with data entry 434a corresponding to short distance 321, shown in FIG. 5a as having a value of "23" on the Z-axis of the device coordinate system 360. Pixel 436 also correlates with data entry 436a corresponding to medium distance 322, shown in FIG. 5a as having a value of "27" on the Z-axis of the device coordinate system 360. Similarly, pixel 438 is correlated with data entry 438a corresponding to long distance 323, shown as having a value of "31" on the Z-axis of device coordinate system 360. Empirical data can also be interpolated to correlate distances with each pixel in the image. FIGS. 5b and 5c show example interpolations of calibration data entries for additional pixels along an interpolation line 502 or spline defined by empirically calibrated pixels 434, 436, and 438 of image 400. FIG. 5c shows that distances corresponding to additional pixels can be further correlated with each pixel in the image by, for example, interpolating in a direction 504 perpendicular to the interpolation line 502 or spline. The fully interpolated correlations for each pixel in the image can be stored in the form of a look-up table in the storage medium as reference calibration data. Alternatively, values ​​can generally be linearly interpolated, so that, for example, a reduced resolution matrix correlating distances with only the pixels circled in FIG. 5c can be stored in the storage medium as reference calibration data.

[0068] Although this example shows the calibration of a single projected fiducial 332, multiple fiducials can be used to generate fiducial calibration data for more points in the X, Y, and Z axes of the device coordinate system 360 and used to map the skin morphology, e.g., slope and / or curvature. Each additional fiducial may be calibrated to correlate a different set of distances with each pixel in the image captured by the camera 350.

[0069] Cosmetic applicator 340 may also be calibrated in a manner similar to that described above for reference 332. Cosmetic applicator 340 applies cosmetic composition to calibration substrates positioned at distances 321, 322, and 323, respectively. The calibration substrates with the cosmetic composition applied thereto are imaged by camera 350 from each distance to generate empirical applicator calibration data corresponding to the applicator calibration images. Specifically, as described above in Example I, cosmetic applied to a substrate positioned at short distance 321 from probe 310 is imaged by camera 350 at pixel 444, cosmetic applied to a substrate positioned at intermediate distance 322 from probe 310 is imaged by camera 350 at pixel 446, and cosmetic applied to a substrate positioned at long distance 323 from probe 310 is imaged by camera 350 at pixel 448. The empirically derived applicator calibration data can also be interpolated to generate further applicator calibration data that correlates distances with further pixels in the applicator calibration image, in a manner similar to that described above for reference 332.

[0070] Example III Example III illustrates an example method for identifying an area in an image captured by camera 350 that corresponds to an aiming location of applicator 340. FIG. 6 illustrates an example image frame of camera 350. The image frame of FIG. 6 includes pixels 444f, 446f, and 448f that are in the same positions in the image frame as pixels 444, 446, and 448 of image 400 from the applicator calibration data described above in Example II. These pixels 444f, 446f, and 448f are used to define an interpolation spline 605 in the image frame shown in FIG. 6. Camera 350 can also be used to capture an example image of an example area of ​​skin having a particular morphology marked by a number of projected fiducials. For example, fiducials can be captured at pixels 611, 612, 613, and 614 of the image frame shown in FIG. 6.

[0071] As shown in Figure 7, by comparing the morphology of the skin determined by a number of criteria (e.g., comparing the criteria imaged in the image of the skin at pixels 611, 612, 613, and 614 to an exemplary set of reference calibration data) to the applicator calibration data, a region in the image of the skin imaged by camera 350 that corresponds to the aiming location of applicator 340 can be identified. In Figure 7, each pixel along an interpolation spline 605 of the image frame is mapped to the distance between the probe and the height of the corresponding location on the skin, as shown by spline 620, determined using the image data corresponding to the exemplary image and the exemplary set of reference calibration data. The applicator calibration data can also be interpolated to correlate each pixel 444f, 446f, 448f along the interpolation spline 605 with the distance between the probe 310 and the substrate (e.g., distance measurements 321d, 322d, 323d corresponding to short distance 321, medium distance 322, and long distance 323 shown in FIG. 2), represented by data points 444i, 446i, and 448i, respectively, in FIG. 7. The distance corresponding to the interpolation spline 605 is shown along spline 610 in FIG. 7. As can be seen in FIG. 7, splines 610 and 620 intersect at location 630, which represents a pixel along spline 505 in the image frame of FIG. 6 that corresponds to the aim location of the applicator 340 for an exemplary area of ​​skin having a morphology determined by the projected fiducials imaged at pixels 611, 612, 613, and 614 of the image frame shown in FIG. 6.

[0072] Example IV Example IV provides an exemplary embodiment of an optical emitter 110 that projects multiple fiducials in a checkerboard pattern. In particular, the optical emitter 110 may include a reference light source, preferably a non-laser light source, and a gobo with a checkerboard pattern with multiple alternating squares through which light from the reference light source passes to project the checkerboard fiducials on the skin. This checkerboard gobo is particularly useful with an LED reference light source, which is considered safer to use on or near the human eye than a laser reference light source. The gobo can be projected onto a protective window that is parallel or nearly parallel to the average orientation of the skin, so that the fiducials projected onto the skin through the gobo are free or substantially free of keystone distortion. In this embodiment, the checkerboard fiducials are a particularly efficient way to project multiple fiducial points on the skin using a single reference light source. Alternatively, the optical emitter 110 may include a laser reference light source that is projected through a phase-contrast holographic plate with multiple different surface shape elements to diffract and / or phase-shift the laser light source to project the checkerboard pattern. The combination of a laser reference source through a phase contrast holographic plate provides a focused and / or sharp optical reference that can be used to project multiple references in a checkerboard pattern onto a treatment surface, particularly onto the skin away from the human eye, where projected laser references do not present an increased safety risk compared to non-laser optical references.

[0073] Furthermore, as noted above, the checkerboard fiducial can provide distinct spatial features at each corner of the checkerboard square that can serve as individually identifiable reference points on the skin, an example of which is shown in Figure 8i. These spatial features at each corner of the checkerboard fiducial square can provide sharp distinct reference points without the use of a laser fiducial source.

[0074] Fiducials projected in a checkerboard pattern can be particularly beneficial for a number of reasons. First, a gobo with a checkerboard pattern provides a pattern that efficiently utilizes the light emitted from the reference light source, since it passes half of the light from the reference light source. In contrast, a gobo with a pattern for projecting an array of pinholes passes a smaller portion of the light emitted from the reference light source, so most of the light emitted from the reference light source is wasted and not utilized by the pinhole patterned gobo. Second, a fiducial projected in a checkerboard pattern provides marks that can be detected along the edge of a line rather than as a point, which can improve the accuracy and / or precision of a location mapped using a checkerboard fiducial. A checkerboard fiducial can provide detectable marks along the edge of a line that can be used for location determination based on an average of each point across the line, thereby reducing the amount of distortion that can be caused by variations in skin color or texture. The checkerboard pattern also includes edges that alternate in polarity, thereby negating possible edge bias of the fiducial on average. Third, a checkerboard pattern provides a pattern that can be detected along the edge of a line rather than as a point ... 2 Instead of a single point reference, there can be an N×N pattern giving a reference with 2N lines, which can reduce the chance of misclassification of the single point reference.

[0075] Figure 8a shows a control image of an area of ​​hand skin with doubled contrast obtained through a circular polarizer. Figures 8b-8i show different simulated images of the same area of ​​skin from Figure 8a, where a checkerboard pattern is projected onto the skin with green light and the same checkerboard pattern is overlaid with red light. Checkerboard standards processed in different ways are shown in Figures 8b-8i to show the checkerboard standards under different conditions.

[0076] As mentioned above, image data from the detector arrangement 120 can be further adjusted, manipulated, or processed under various conditions to sharpen the fiducials in the processed image data and / or to remove interfering background noise from the image data before the processed image data is analyzed to determine the morphology of the skin area. In particular, in an image marked with checkered fiducials, the image data can be further manipulated and / or processed to sharpen the fiducial points at each of the square corners of the checkered fiducials to improve the accuracy of identifying the location of these fiducials in the image. For example, image data corresponding to an image of an area of ​​skin marked with fiducials can be standardized using a second set of image data corresponding to an image of an area imaged without fiducial markings. In some embodiments, the second set of image data can be acquired under different lighting conditions. In one example, the image data can be acquired using one color channel and the second set of image data can be acquired using a different color channel. The second set of image data can correspond to the entire image or a particular component of the image, such as the gamma luminance of the image. The image data may be standardized with the second set of image data by pixel division of the image data divided by the second set of image data to generate a new set of processed image data. It is noted that this further adjustment to the image data (e.g., standardization using the second set of image data) may be applied to image data corresponding to an image marked with a checkerboard fiducial generated from any suitable reference light source, including an LED and / or a laser.

[0077] In an exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 8d, the exemplary image data of FIG. 8c, which is an image of skin captured by a sensor in a red channel, is standardized by data corresponding to an image of skin captured in a green channel to reduce distortion of the checkerboard fiducial caused by variations in skin color and texture. The distortion may be caused by uneven skin color or texture. In particular, skin may be uneven in color and may include different dark areas with high concentrations of melanin that may cause distortion in the projected fiducial (e.g., spreading and / or blurring of the fiducial) as light diffuses from the dark areas. The distortion contributes to errors in identifying the correct positioning of the imaged fiducial within the image of the area of ​​skin having the dark areas. Standardizing the image data with a second set of image data obtained using a different color channel can reduce distortion of the fiducial caused by variations in skin color and texture. More particularly, since skin variations tend to be more visually visible under green light than red light, the imaged data can be standardized with a bias toward the red channel, for example, with a bias power of the green channel of about 0.6 to about 1.0. In an alternative embodiment, the fiducials may be projected with blue light, and the bias power towards the red channel may be about 1.0. The exemplary image shown in FIG. 8d has been normalized using a green channel bias power of 0.6. FIGS. 9a-9c show more detailed views of the images of FIGS. 8c-8e at enlarged magnifications, respectively. As can be seen in these exemplary images, the normalized images of FIGS. 8d and 9b show sharper images, in particular, clearer images of the edges of the checkerboard fiducial. Although the normalization process has been described above using a checkerboard fiducial, it is contemplated that the normalization process can be used with any type of projected fiducial to reduce distortion of the fiducial caused by variations in skin color and texture.

[0078] Image data corresponding to an image of skin including a checkerboard fiducial can be standardized as described above and further processed to identify individual fiducial points corresponding to each corner of the checkerboard square. The vertical component of the checkerboard fiducial can be isolated from the image, for example, as in the image shown in FIG. 8g. Similarly, the horizontal component of the checkerboard fiducial can be obtained from the image, for example, as in the image shown in FIG. 8h. The intersection of these vertical and horizontal components reveals individual fiducial points corresponding to each corner of the checkerboard square, as seen in FIG. 8i. The fiducial points at each corner of the checkerboard fiducial square can each be used as a separate fiducial mark for identifying the morphology of the skin area, as described above.

[0079] Although Examples I-IV are described with respect to the alignment of a cosmetic spray from a cosmetic applicator, any other topical spray from a topical composition applicator (e.g., a skin treatment composition to improve the appearance and / or health of the skin) can be aligned in a similar manner as described above in these examples.

[0080] The invention described and claimed herein is not limited in scope by the specific embodiments disclosed herein, which are intended to illustrate some aspects of the invention. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Indeed, various modifications of the invention in addition to those shown and described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Such modifications are also intended to be within the scope of the appended claims. All documents cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0081] [Embodiment] (1) A method for applying a composition to a treatment surface of a user, comprising: projecting a plurality of fiducials onto the treatment surface with an optical emitter; acquiring, with a detector arrangement, image data corresponding to an image of an area of ​​the treatment surface marked with the fiducials; analyzing, by a processing arrangement, the image data to determine a morphology of the area of ​​the treatment surface based on the criteria captured in the image; identifying, by the processing arrangement, an area within the image that corresponds to a location within the area of ​​the treatment surface to which an applicator arrangement will aim to apply the composition, the area being identified based on the morphology of the area of ​​the treatment surface; analyzing the image data with the processing arrangement to determine whether the identified region within the image corresponds to an artifact; and if the artifact is detected from the identified area, selectively applying the composition to the location within the area of ​​the treatment surface with an applicator arrangement. (2) The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment surface is the skin of the user's face. (3) The method of embodiment 1, wherein at least three fiducials are projected onto the treatment surface. (4) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of criteria form a checkerboard pattern. (5) The method of embodiment 4, wherein the topography of the area of ​​the treatment surface is determined using a plurality of reference points corresponding to corners of the checkerboard pattern.

[0082] (6) The method of embodiment 1, wherein the morphology is determined by analyzing the image data to determine, for each fiducial, the distance between the optical emitter and the height of the location on the treatment surface marked by each fiducial. (7) The method of claim 6, wherein the distance is determined by analyzing the image data and comparing a reference position of each fiducial in the image to calibration data, the calibration data correlating an area in a calibration image of a calibration substrate imaged by the detector configuration with a distance between the optical emitter and the calibration substrate. (8) The method of embodiment 6, wherein the morphology includes at least one of the curvature and slope of the area of ​​the treatment surface. (9) The method of embodiment 1, wherein the processing configuration determines whether the identified region corresponds to the artifact based on the reflectivity of the treatment surface detected in the image. (10) The method according to embodiment 1, wherein the composition is a cosmetic composition comprising a reflectance adjusting agent.

[0083] (11) The method of embodiment 1, wherein the composition comprises an active ingredient for treating a skin condition. (12) The method of embodiment 1, wherein the analyzing step includes adjusting the image data to reduce data corresponding to distortion of the fiducials captured in the image, and using the processed image data to determine a morphology of the area of ​​the treatment surface based on the fiducials captured in the image. (13) The method of embodiment 12, wherein the image data is adjusted using a second set of image data corresponding to at least one component of a second image of the area of ​​the treatment surface acquired by the detector configuration, the second image not being marked with the fiducial. (14) A handheld device for applying a composition to a treatment surface, comprising: an optical emitter configured to project a plurality of fiducials onto the treatment surface; a detector arrangement configured to acquire image data corresponding to an image of an area of ​​the treatment surface marked with the fiducials; an applicator arrangement configured to apply the composition to a location within the area of ​​the treatment surface; 11. A handheld device comprising: a processing arrangement configured to: receive the image data from the detector arrangement; analyze the image data to determine a morphology of the area of ​​the treatment surface based on the criterion captured in the image; identify an area in the image corresponding to the location to which the applicator arrangement is configured to apply the composition, the area being identified based on the morphology of the area of ​​the treatment surface; analyze the image data to determine whether the identified area corresponds to an artifact; and if the artifact is detected in the identified area, instruct the applicator arrangement to selectively apply the composition to the location. (15) The handheld device of embodiment 14, wherein the plurality of criteria includes at least three criteria.

[0084] (16) The handheld device of embodiment 14, wherein the at least one optical emitter includes a reference light source and a template through which light from the reference light source passes to project the plurality of references onto the area of ​​the treatment surface. (17) The handheld device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of references form a checkerboard pattern. (18) The handheld device of embodiment 14, wherein the detector configuration comprises at least one light source for delivering light to the area of ​​the treatment surface, and at least one sensor for detecting the light and the projected fiducial from the area of ​​the treatment surface to acquire the image data. (19) The handheld device of embodiment 14, wherein the applicator configuration includes a nozzle configured to deposit the composition from a pressurized reservoir to form a thin layer of the composition on the treatment surface. (20) The handheld device of embodiment 14, wherein the composition comprises at least one of a reflectance adjusting agent and an active ingredient for treating a skin condition.

[0085] (21) A handheld device as described in embodiment 14, wherein the processing configuration determines the morphology by analyzing the image data to determine, for each datum, the distance between the optical emitter and the height of a position on the treatment surface marked by each datum. (22) The handheld device of embodiment 21, further comprising a computer-accessible medium configured to store calibration data, the calibration data correlating an area in a calibration image of a calibration substrate imaged by the detector configuration with a distance between the optical emitter and the calibration substrate, and the processing configuration determining the distance between the optical emitter and the height of the position on the treatment surface marked by each fiducial by comparing a reference position of each fiducial in the image to the calibration data. (23) The handheld device of claim 14, wherein the configuration includes at least one of a curvature and a slope of the area of ​​the treatment surface. (24) The handheld device of embodiment 14, wherein the processing configuration determines whether the area in the image contains the artifact based on the reflectivity of the treatment surface detected in the image.

Claims

1. 1. A handheld device for applying a composition to a treatment surface, comprising: an optical emitter configured to project a plurality of fiducials onto the treatment surface, the fiducials including a green fiducial and a red fiducial; a detector arrangement configured to acquire image data, the image data including green image data and red image data corresponding to an image of an area of ​​the treatment surface marked with the plurality of fiducials; an applicator arrangement configured to apply the composition to a location within the area of ​​the treatment surface; a processing arrangement configured to: receive the image data from the detector arrangement; analyze the image data to determine a morphology of the area of ​​the treatment surface based on the plurality of criteria captured in the image; identify an area within the image that aligns with the location to which the applicator arrangement is configured to apply the composition, the area being identified based on the morphology of the area of ​​the treatment surface; analyze the image data to determine whether the identified area corresponds to an artifact; and if the artifact is detected in the identified area, instruct the applicator arrangement to selectively apply the composition to the location; the optical emitter overlaying the red reference on the green reference; A handheld device, wherein the processing arrangement normalizes the red image data relative to the green image data.

2. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of criteria includes at least three criteria.

3. 10. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical emitter includes a reference light source and a template through which light from the reference light source passes to project the plurality of fiducials onto the area of ​​the treatment surface.

4. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fiducials form a checkerboard pattern.

5. 2. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the detector arrangement comprises at least one light source for delivering light to the area of ​​the treatment surface and at least one sensor for detecting the light and the plurality of projected fiducials from the area of ​​the treatment surface to acquire the image data.

6. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein the applicator arrangement includes a nozzle configured to deposit the composition from a pressurized reservoir to form a thin layer of the composition on the treatment surface.

7. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least one of a reflectance adjusting agent and an active ingredient for treating a skin condition.

8. 2. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the processing arrangement determines the morphology by analyzing the image data to determine, for each fiducial, a distance between the optical emitter and a height of a location on the treatment surface marked by each fiducial.

9. 10. The handheld device of claim 8, further comprising a computer-accessible medium configured to store calibration data, the calibration data correlating an area in a calibration image of a calibration substrate imaged by the detector arrangement with a distance between the optical emitter and the calibration substrate, and the processing arrangement determining the distance between the optical emitter and the height of the location on the treatment surface marked by each fiducial by comparing a reference position of each fiducial in the image to the calibration data.

10. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein the morphology includes at least one of a curvature and a slope of the area of ​​the treatment surface.

11. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein the processing arrangement determines whether the region in the image contains the artifact based on a reflectance of the treatment surface detected in the image.

Images