Tuesday, September 4, 2012


Imaging Needs for Personalized Skin Care: an industry Report

by Caroline Plat, DermaNest Associate Consultant

Executive Summary

Imaging devices such as MRI’s, radiography and ultrasound are medical devices regularly used to help make diagnostics. What types of devices are used to analyze the skin and the face on a dermatological and esthetic point of view? Are there imaging systems to not only view skin lesions but also wrinkles, skin redness, acne and pores as well as vascular conditions? Are there non-invasive, easy to use camera systems? We have researched such systems and studied if they are used in research laboratories and clinics, available to customers in cosmetics points of sale or destined to consumers’ households. After making an inventory of latest devices we were able to segment the market and compare the systems according to the number of applications they present. 

Most systems are dermatoscopes, handheld, lighted magnifiers with a non polarized and polarized light source. The software is where they mostly differentiate themselves. Some can analyze your skin down to your fine lines, wrinkles, pores and sebum secretion while others concentrate on skin lesions, spots on the skin. What is the ideal imaging system and what are consumers today looking for?

List of company benchmarked:
  • Aranz Medical
  • Beau Visage
  • BME electronics
  • BrighTex Bio-Photonics
  • Canfield
  • Clarity Pro Facial Stage
  • Courage + Khazaka electronic GMBH
  • DermLite
  • Enhanced Image Technologies
  • Eykona
  • FotoFinder
  • GFM
  • Ioma
  • LLTech
  • Lucid
  • Mediscope Digital Skin Imaging Analysis
  • Michelson Diagnostics
  • Profect Medical Technologies 


Discussion and Observations:

As a foreword, we thought it would be important to clarify and discuss the definition of dermoscopy, which embraces all the products that we have explored:

“Dermoscopy (dermatoscopy, epiluminescence microscopy, incident light microscopy, skin surface microscopy) is a non-invasive diagnostic technique for the in vivo observation of pigmented skin lesions (PSLs), allowing a better visualization of surface and subsurface structures (from the epidermis to the papillary dermis).  This diagnostic tool permits the recognition of morphologic structures not visible by the naked eye, thus opening a new dimension in the analysis of the clinical morphologic features of PSLs.
However, due to the complexity of patterns and their interpretation, the results of dermoscopic examination have limitations, especially for the inexperienced, and they are effective only if the user is formally trained. In order to reduce the learning-curve of non-expert clinicians and to mitigate problems inherent in the reliability and reproducibility of the diagnostic criteria used in pattern analysis, several indicative methods based on diagnostic algorithms have been introduced in the last few years. ” (Automated Dermoscopy Image Analysis of Pigmented Skin Lesions, Baldi et al., Cancers 2010, 2(2), 262-273)

Most of these imaging systems are dermatoscopes (a handheld lighted magnifier, usually consisting of a non polarized and polarized light source) and have the same technical abilities with LED light’s, polarized or cross-polarized lighting, an automatic focus, magnification… what really differentiates them is the way the images are analyzed, the software’s capabilities. The processing of images, their quality, color measurements and ease of use are to be thoroughly studied to be able to compare the devices. Most of them seem to be paired with software that can analyze every characteristic of you skin, from skin lesions to wrinkles and vascular conditions, with the same hardware. Are the devices sophisticated enough to truly visualize hemoglobin? Should they dedicate themselves to analyzing one skin condition and assure that the analysis is reliable and accurate?
It seems the ideal portable and non invasive system would include a normal lighting, parallel-polarized and/or cross-polarized lighting, UV lighting, an automatic focus, sufficient magnifying capacity and software to analyze the images and obtain a full skin diagnosis: skin lesions, wrinkles, pores and vascular condition analysis. UV lighting can furthermore be a tool to visualize the skin’s fluorescing acne lesions such as Courage + Khazaka’s Visiopor which uses UVA LED’s.

Apart from diagnostics, there are many application possibilities. These imaging devices could also be used to analyze cosmetic products on the skin, such as tone homogeneity, the exact color of eye shadow, lipstick and blush on the skin and to match skin tone. The durability of a product and its effects could also easily be followed.

It seems clear that future imaging devices will be tablets such as iPads or smart phones directly used or the camera and lighting may be improved by an add-on in order to have a polarized light source. Easy to use imaging devices are needed in cosmetics points of sale and even at home. For example, concerning skin lesions, these devices could be used to take a clinical image and send it to a dermatologist or treatment center to analyze and thus avoid going to the doctor’s unless it is really necessary.

The major issue that needs to be solved is the reproducibility problem of these images as well as color and white balance. To be able to make reliable measurements (wrinkle depth and length for example), to be able to compare and analyze photographs, they all need to be taken in the same light, the same position, exactly the same settings. These conditions can be overlooked and neglected by consumers. Understanding how a device (hardware and software) analyzes the skin with only a photograph may be many consumers’ difficulty and will most certainly affect the way they use them. Engineers and professionals use these devices; the science behind their functioning isn’t easy to understand by all consumers. A trained specialists might be recommended at Points of Sale to help consumers with the imaging devices and sell them the suggested treatments.

Today consumers wish to receive a complete, objective and understandable skin diagnosis, in a store or at home, as quickly as possible and have a treatment and make-up recommendation they can apply. The software could allow entering factors such as age, season, clothing, and the type of event you are dressing for, to help choose the appropriate skin care products and make-up. You could select a price range, evaluate previously used products in order to receive a personalized, “genius” proposition. This appears to us as the future of personalized skin-care.

An approach to such an App, is ModiFace. Using a picture taken by your smart phone you can test make-up options by seeing the potential result on your photograph. You can visualize different brands’ colors of foundations, blush, lipstick, eye shadow, mascara etc. on your photo. It does not however analyze your skin or recommend a particular product.

If there are limited regulatory barriers for the introduction of such new technologies, relevant business models need to be found to the cost of such innovations are supported by the ones who benefit the most of its value. As of now, this question is still not resolved and economic pressures exist both for innovators, large companies and consumers. We might well have to wait for a few more years to witness the widespread use of personalized (image-based) cosmetics.


Friday, August 3, 2012

The Center For Dermal Research Joins The International Dermatology Institute
Princeton, July 31st 2012
The Center For Dermal Research (CDR) joins the International Dermatology Institute (IDI) alongside DermaNest and TRI/Princeton. IDI announces it’s third IDI Technical Forum, which will take place on Tuesday, October 16th, 2012


IDI offers start-up companies specialized in dermatology, around the world, the opportunity to expand their business, focusing on the US. By leveraging the services of DermaNest, CDR and the TRI Center for Skin Science and Applied Dermatology, small companies can position themselves within and receive services from IDI on the Princeton Campus. The Princeton area is the heart of the largest pharmaceutical, biotech, drug discovery and life sciences ecosystem in the world, and also includes the best in class laboratories of skin care, cosmeticeutical and wound-care companies. 

CDR, TRI and DermaNest share the common mission of aiding organizations in the development of personalized dermatology and cosmetics. Together, they provide technical solutions including predictive diagnostics, imaging devices and therapeutic methods for the advanced dermatological, cosmetic, and wound-care markets.

To learn more about the IDI Model, please visit DermaNest’s website.

CDR, on the Rutgers campus in Piscataway, New Jersey, offers professional development opportunities for its paid industrial members, networking with researchers from industry and academia, research collaborations with the Laboratory for Drug Delivery, connections with other faculty and research groups conducting skin research. The CDR is the first dermatopharmaceutics research center in New Jersey conducting studies on topical and transdermal compound delivery, skin biology and skin tissue engineering. The CDR provides quality educational opportunities for its members through workshops, seminar series, symposia and courses.

TRI Princeton is a non-profit research Institute, more than 80 years old, dedicated to Research, Education and Service in advanced industries. It is a recognized authority in cosmetic science. TRI provides technical innovation, research and claim support to the cosmetic and dermatology industries in addition to hosting various educational forums for professional scientists, including annual international conferences. TRI’s Center for Skin Science and Advanced Dermatology specializes in the study of skin’s structure, behavior and variability with the goal of a more personalized approach to skin protection and repair based on genetic predisposition and variations occurring from age, disease and environmental impact. Researchers within the Center interact with partners across various disciplines to bring about productive exchange of ideas and to implement meaningful results

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

About SKINLABS and Personalized Cosmetics

The creators of SkinLabs (Bordeaux, France) have 20 years of expertise in R & D products and diagnostic techniques for skin and hair cosmetics top brands. Today SkinLabs is positioned as the expert in hair, skin and scalp diagnosis imaging. Skinlabs carries its own brand of products "turnkey" products including electronics, computing, mechanics, design and packaging:







The key applications for the Skinlab Products are
- Diagnostic skin and hair 
- Equipment for the care sector aesthetic 
- Medical Devices analysis of skin diseases (none launched yet)
- Equipment to support POS ( Point of Sale) consultative sales.
Skinlabs will be presenting at the International Dermatology Institute Technical Forum of June 12th 2012 , at the opportunities to use the Skinlab Technology Platform in  the area of Personalized Cosmetics will be explored. Indeed, Skinlabs's technology platform can enable portable/mobile (e.g. iPad enabled) skin imaging system that could be used in conjunction with a retail skincare or cosmeceutical program.




About ARANZ Medical and Personalized Cosmetics ?


ARANZ Medical (Christchurch, New Zealand) develops technology based solutions to solve customers’ problems in different healthcare application areas. The group currently employs staff with high level skills in mathematics, software, hardware, manufacturing and business.
To date ARANZ Medical has demonstrated technical and commercial success in application areas as diverse as 3D modeling, data collection for movie making special effects, and custom fitted orthotics and prosthetics. Examples include:
  • one of ARANZ’s first customers was Weta Digital who used our FastSCAN technology to bring to life animated characters in movie block busters such as Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
  • the ARANZ-developed Hanger Insignia system is installed in hundreds of clinics in the United States for custom fitting prostheses to amputees, and orthotics.
  • ARANZ Medical products are in use in more than 25 countries.
From Personalized Wound Care to personalized Cosmetics ?
The Silhouette™ Product Suite seamlessly allows efficient capture and documentation of electronic wound assessment information including images, measurements and clinical notes. Information is integrated from the point-of-care devices to a centralized wound information database. The point-of-care devices capture 3D information about the skin and wound surface so that measurements are more precise. Point-of-care devices include SilhouetteStar™ + SilhouetteConnect™ and SilhouetteMobile™. The wound information database, SilhouetteCentral™, provides the data management capability at the heart of the system, giving users the ability to rapidly organize, share, report and analyze captured wound assessment information.

The Silhouette Product Suite has been developed by ARANZ Medical Limited for medical professionals involved with wound care. ARANZ Medical continues to improve the Silhouette products and is open to modifying the system to meet specific customers' needs.
At DermaNest, we are particularly excited about the potential of Silhouette both in the Wound Care Market and in teh Skin Care Market. Indeed, such technology can provide a professional ( as opposed to consumer) wound-skin imaging solution that can be used for use in combination of a Wound Care and or skin care or cosmetic program.
Silhouette will be showcased at the International Dermatology Technical Forum of June 12th 2012 where the application to Skin care and personalized cosmetics will be explored.

ARANZ Medical and SKINLABS present at IDI Technical Forum of June 12, 2012


The International Dermatology Institute (IDI)Technical Forum
Showcasing Breakthrough Technologies that Innovate in Personalized Cosmetics
June 12th 2012, 3pm - 5pm
(followed by a wine and cheese networking reception)
TRI Princeton Campus, 601 Prospect Ave, Princeton, NJ

Technology Showcase:

ARANZ Medical (Christchurch, New Zealand, www.aranzmedical.com) develops technology based solutions to solve customers’ problems in differing healthcare application areas. ARANZ’s Silhouette™ Product Suiteseamlessly integrates point-of-care wound assessment data capture with a central wound information management database for efficient wound monitoring and wound outcomes management.  This technology platform has the potential to also solve imaging and personalized solutions in the skin care and cosmeceutical emerging market.

SKINLABS (Bordeaux, France,  www.skinlabs.fr ) designs and commercializes image-based diagnostique and quantification solutions for skin, hair and scalp to support cosmeceutical research and point-of-sale commercial activities.  Skinlabs is opened to design and manufacture OEM solutions for large cosmeceutical companies.

Monday, April 16, 2012

The International Dermatology Institute Technical Forum

Showcasing Breakthrough Technologies for Active Compounds Value Creation
April 26th, 2012, 3pm - 5pm
(followed by a wine and cheese networking reception)
TRI Princetoin Campus, 601 Prospect Ave, Princeton, NJ
Kindly RSVP by April 24th to Dina Walker, 609-430-4828 or dwalker@triprinceton.org

Agenda

DermaNest & TRI Center for Skin Science & Applied Dermatology Dr. Mathieu Petitjean and Dr. Michael Drzewinski
An introduction to the mission and capabilities of DermaNest, the TRI Center for Skin Science & Applied Dermatology, and the International Institute for Dermatology.
2D+ : Innovation in Cell Culturing Technology (Cytoo) Dr. Lisa Minor
This innovative 2D+ technology enables major improvements in culturing cells to increase assay reproducibility and reliability while improving the capacity to achieve a more physiological phenotype in cells cultured on 2D surfaces without resorting to a 3D culture system. Since each micro-pattern is identical (hundreds per well), cells perform in a reproducible and consistent manner decreasing the use of primary cells and permitting less replicates per data point. (www.cytoo.com)
SDG a 3-Dimensional Network that Incorporates and Stabilizes Multiple Drugs of Various Physicochemical Properties (Agigma) Dr. Nena Gulobovic-Liakopoulos
This unique topical and trans-dermal technology platform enables the development of formulations that are cosmetically attractive while incorporating, stabilizing, and releasing multiple actives or drugs. For pharmaceutical applications it enables the formulation of drug combinations that have not previously been possible generating possibilities to re-purpose products that have previously been used for the treatment of other diseases and/or have not been available for dermal line extensions.

Kindly RSVP by April 24th to Dina Walker, 609-430-4828 or dwalker@triprinceton.org

The International Dermatology Institute (IDI) Created

April 5, 2012, Princeton, NJ -DermaNest, a wholly owned subsidiary of MedNest, and TRI/Princeton have joined together to create the International Dermatology Institute (IDI) and announce it’s first-ever IDI Technical Forum on Thursday, April 26 th , 3 – 5 pm, on the TRI/Princeton Campus.

The International Dermatology Institute (IDI) offers dermatology focused start-up companies from around the world the opportunity to effectively advance their business, especially in the US. By leveraging the services of DermaNest and the TRI Center for Skin Science and Applied Dermatology, small companies can locate themselves within and receive services from IDI on the Princeton, NJ based TRI Campus. The Princeton area is the heart of the largest pharmaceutical, biotech, drug discovery and life-sciences ecosystem in the world, and also includes the headquarters and laboratories of many world class skin care, cosmeticeutical and wound-care companies. TRI and DermaNest share the common mission of aiding organizations in the development of personalized dermatology and cosmetics by providing technical solutions that include predictive diagnostics, imaging devices and therapeutic methods for the advanced dermatological, cosmetic, and wound care markets.

To learn more about the IDI Model, please visit DermaNest and TRI Princeton Websites

TRI Princeton is a non-profit research Institute dedicated to Research, Education and Service in advanced industries for more than 80 years and is a recognized authority in cosmetic science. TRI provides technical innovation, research and claim support to the cosmetic and dermatology industries in addition to hosting various educational forums for professional scientists, including annual international conferences. TRI’s Center for Skin Science and Advanced Dermatology specializes in the study of skin’s structure, behavior and variability with the goal of a more personalized approach to skin protection and repair based on genetic predisposition and variations occurring from age, disease and environmental impact. Researchers within the Center interact with partners across various disciplines to bring about productive exchange of ideas and to implement meaningful results.

DermaNest develops the business of International Personalized Cosmetics and Skin-Care Solutions and Services for the US Markets. Personalized Solutions include Predictive Diagnostics, Therapies and Companion Diagnostics, for the Cosmetic, Cosmeceuticals and Wound Care markets. DermaNest's business model and highly experienced team empower early stage companies to play in high growth market segments, at a fraction of the cost of alternative solutions.