Handheld Digital Dermatoscope with Integrated Imaging Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing analogue dermatoscopes lack the ability to save skin examinations as digital images, making long-term documentation and precise diagnosis challenging, and their use with digital cameras is inconvenient and raises data protection concerns.
Innovation Solution
A digital dermatoscope is designed as a handheld device with a handle part and a head part containing an imaging unit with a sensor and lens, allowing for digital image acquisition and display on a built-in display, along with storage and intuitive operation features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an analogue dermatoscope is used with a digital camera (e.g., smartphone), then digital image capture is enabled, but device complexity increases and data protection issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the imaging unit with sensor and lens directly into the dermatoscope head, merging the digital imaging capability with the existing dermatoscope structure. This eliminates the need for separate digital cameras or smartphones, reducing device complexity while maintaining digital image capture functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The dermatoscope is designed to perform multiple functions: optical examination, digital image capture, and data storage within a single device. The imaging unit serves both diagnostic visualization and digital documentation purposes, making the device universal and eliminating the need for additional equipment.
2Loss of information
If an analogue dermatoscope is used with a digital camera, then digital documentation is possible, but ease of operation deteriorates due to inconvenient setup
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the imaging unit directly into the dermatoscope, the system eliminates the need for separate camera attachment and setup. The unified design allows seamless operation where the dermatoscope functions as both optical examination tool and digital documentation device, significantly improving ease of operation.
3Device complexity
If an analogue dermatoscope is used without digital imaging, then device complexity remains low, but loss of information increases due to inability to save examinations
Solution Approach 1:
The dermatoscope is designed to perform multiple functions: optical examination, digital image capture, and data storage within a single device. The imaging unit serves both diagnostic visualization and digital documentation purposes, making the device universal and eliminating the need for additional equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies of skin examinations through the integrated imaging unit and sensor. These digital images can be stored, archived, and reviewed, preventing information loss and enabling long-term documentation while maintaining a relatively simple device structure.
4Device complexity
If magnification is limited to optical means with fixed factor, then device complexity remains low, but measurement precision deteriorates for detailed examination
Solution Approach 1:
The dermatoscope combines optical magnification with digital imaging capabilities, allowing the system to provide both real-time optical visualization and captured digital images that can be viewed at various magnification levels on a display device, thus achieving multiple magnification functions without complicating the optical system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The digital dermatoscope enables simpler, more user-friendly skin examinations and more reliable diagnoses by allowing digital image capture, storage, and display, improving documentation and precision while addressing data protection issues.
Implementation Method 1
light is irradiated onto the skin section to be examined by means of the dermatoscope and reflected by the skin
Implementation Method 2
The light emitted by the digital dermatoscope is reflected by the illuminated section of the skin, picked up by the lens of the imaging unit and focused onto the image sensor
Implementation Method 3
The image sensor generates a digital image from the reflected light
Implementation Method 4
The digital dermatoscope can have an illumination unit preferably comprising annularly arranged LEDs (LED=light-emitting diode)
Data Source
AI summary
A digital dermatoscope for skin examination, the digital dermatoscope being formed as a hand-held device, wherein the digital dermatoscope comprises a handle part which can be grasped by a hand and a head part adjoining the handle part and having an imaging unit, wherein the imaging unit has an imaging unit housing arranged on a lower side of the head part, an image sensor accommodated inside the imaging unit housing, and a lens, wherein an exchangeable spacer attachment contacting the skin to be examined during a skin examination is arranged at an end of the imaging unit housing, the digital dermatoscope further comprising a control unit and a first display arranged on an upper side of the head part, wherein the control unit is formed to drive the first display to display images of a skin section to be examined acquired by means of the imaging unit.