Hair analysis methods and apparatuses
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for capturing and analyzing images of human hair, particularly of a human scalp. Implementations described for capturing images at multiple locations on the scalp, detecting follicles and hairs, and generating a variety of measurements indicative of the condition of the hair, including the number and density of follicles, hair widths, inter-follicular distances, and the number of hairs per follicular unit, among other possibilities. Measurements can be compared among scalp locations, as well as among sequentially obtained images of the same location. A dermatoscope attachment for contact imaging of the scalp is also disclosed. The attachment may include polarizers enabling cross polarized imaging of the scalp.
1 . A hair analysis apparatus comprising:
an image capture device configured to capture, through a contact plate, an image of an area of skin having hair, the hair being unclipped and parted in the area of skin and the contact plate having a shape that is generally rectangular or oval;
a storage device containing instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions to:
detect one or more follicles in the image;
detect one or more individual hairs in the image;
determine one or more measurements associated with the one or more follicles and the one or more individual hairs detected; and
output a representation of the one or more measurements determined.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the representation includes one or more of an alphanumeric, graphical, or visual indication of the one or more measurements.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to:
obtain a further image, wherein the further image is of a further area of skin having hair, or of the area of skin captured at a time different than that at which the image was captured;
detect one or more follicles in the further image;
detect one or more individual hairs in the further image;
determine one or more further measurements associated with the one or more follicles and the one or more individual hairs detected in the further image; and
output a further representation of a difference between the one or more further measurements and the one or more measurements.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to determine a correspondence between follicles in the image and the further image.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the area of skin includes at least one of a temporal, vertex, or occipital area of a human scalp.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more measurements include one or more of: a hair width, a number of hairs per follicular unit, an inter-follicular distance, a number of hairs per area, a number of follicles per area, a sum of hair widths per area, a hair color, a hair intensity, a ratio of terminal to vellus hair, a number of hairs per area of two or more width categories of hair, or a sum of hair widths per area of two or more width categories of hair.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image is a plain white light reflectance image, an ultraviolet (UV) image, an infrared (IR) image or a cross-polarized image.
8 . A method of a hair analysis apparatus, the method comprising:
capturing, through a contact plate, an image of an area of skin having hair, the hair being unclipped and parted in the area of skin and the contact plate having a shape that is generally rectangular or oval;
detecting one or more follicles in the image;
detecting one or more individual hairs in the image;
determining one or more measurements associated with the one or more follicles and the one or more individual hairs detected; and
outputting a representation of the one or more measurements determined.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the representation includes one or more of an alphanumeric, graphical, or visual indication of the one or more measurements.
10 . The method of claim 8 comprising:
obtaining a further image, wherein the further image is of a further area of skin having hair, or of the area of skin captured at a time different than that at which the image was captured;
detecting one or more follicles in the further image;
detecting one or more individual hairs in the further image;
determining one or more further measurements associated with the one or more follicles and the one or more individual hairs detected in the further image; and
outputting a further representation of a difference between the one or more further measurements and the one or more measurements.
11 . The method of claim 10 comprising determining a correspondence between follicles in the image and the further image.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the area of skin includes at least one of a temporal, vertex, or occipital area of a human scalp.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more measurements include one or more of: a hair width, a number of hairs per follicular unit, an inter-follicular distance, a number of hairs per area, a number of follicles per area, a sum of hair widths per area, a hair color, a hair intensity, a ratio of terminal to vellus hair, a number of hairs per area of two or more width categories of hair, or a sum of hair widths per area of two or more width categories of hair.
14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the image is a plain white light reflectance image, an ultraviolet (UV) image, an infrared (IR) image or a cross-polarized image.
15 . The method of claim 8 comprising preparing the area of skin before capturing the image, including one or more of creating a clearance or applying a light conductive medium.
16 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions for causing a hair analysis apparatus to perform the method of claim 8 .
17 . The apparatus of claim 1 comprising an attachment to the image capture device, the attachment including:
the contact plate; and
a body portion having a first end with a protrusion and a second end with a base, the protrusion having an opening for receiving the contact plate and the base being adapted to be removably attachable to the image capture device.
18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the contact plate has an index of refraction matched to the skin.
19 . The apparatus of claim 1 comprising:
a first polarizer for polarizing light captured by the image capture device; and
a second polarizer for polarizing light emitted from the image capture device,
wherein the first and second polarizers have polarizations with mutually orthogonal orientations.
20 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein detecting the one or more individual hairs is based on the one or more follicles detected.