HK40107428A - Skin examination device - Google Patents

Description

Skin examination equipment

Technical Field

In one aspect, a skin examination device is disclosed. In another aspect, an illumination device for use in a skin examination device is disclosed. In yet another aspect, an optical device for use in a skin examination device is disclosed. Related methods are also disclosed.

Related applications

This application claims priority to Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2021902688 (AU’688), filed on 24 August 2021, and Australian Patent Application No. 2021221543 (AU’543), filed on 24 August 2021 (later converted to Australian Innovation Patent No. 2021107649 (AU’649)). The contents of AU’688, AU’543, and AU’649 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Background Technology

The skin is an important organ of the human body and frequently requires examination for diseases and injuries. In particular, melanoma (skin cancer) is a high-risk disease that can rapidly spread to other organs if not detected and diagnosed early.

According to Cancer Australia, the official Australian government organization, melanoma was the third most frequently diagnosed cancer in 2020, with at least two-thirds of Australians likely to be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70. Similarly, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation of America, it is estimated that approximately 207,390 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in the United States in 2021, and approximately 7,180 cases (about 4,600 men and 2,580 women) may die from melanoma in 2021.

The standard approach to detecting skin conditions, such as melanoma, is typically a physical examination followed by a biopsy if the examining physician determines a specific area of skin is suspicious. The instrument commonly used by physicians during skin examinations is a handheld magnifying instrument called a dermoscopy. In addition, fluorescence microscopy (ELM) of pigmented lesions has become a well-established method for the early detection of skin cancer and the differential diagnosis of pigmented lesions.

Human skin has an oily surface that reflects light. When images of skin are taken using conventional lighting equipment, the light reflected from the oily surface often obscures the underlying cellular structure in the final image. Existing conventional methods for reducing this reflection are called oil immersion, which involves applying oil to the skin and pressing a glass surface against it. This method usually produces good images, but in some cases, oil immersion is neither suitable nor useful. Examples include wounds and areas with noticeable curves in the skin.

The existing technology in this field is the handheld skin examination device described in Australian Patent AU 199538975 (AU’975) (and related patent families). The technology described in AU’975 utilizes the cross-polarization of light. Broadly speaking, the illumination source is filtered by a linear polarizer, causing the incident light source to be polarized at a fixed angle. When light enters the skin, it is dispersed within the epidermal layer, changing its polarization angle. Light reflected from the skin is directly filtered by a second polarizer, which is aligned approximately perpendicular to the first polarizer. The airborne imaging system is used only to detect images beneath the reflective layer of the skin.

The “cross-polarization” illumination method can be considered to have the following disadvantages:

Illumination and Image Quality – Conventional linear polarizers filter up to approximately 75% of the transmitted light. Therefore, cross-polarization methods require very high-intensity light sources to be effective, as the amount of light ultimately passing through the onboard imaging system/camera is less than about 10% of the original intensity. This can result in low contrast and shadowed imaging due to light absorption within the epidermis. Consequently, certain skin conditions may not be fully captured, often requiring a biopsy to confirm the condition. Therefore, some doctors still use the traditional oil immersion method because the resulting images tend to be brighter and have higher contrast.

Depth of field focusing on the skin layer—The AU’975's device uses a telephoto lens, resulting in a limited depth of field of approximately 0.2 mm. The camera's software needed to shift the focus control 0.2 mm into the skin to avoid focusing on the epidermis. This was found to be insufficient to fully cover the depth required to identify structures 0.2 mm below the skin layer. As with conventional camera lenses, depth of field can be controlled via the camera's aperture setting (F-stop). A smaller aperture results in a greater depth of field. However, due to significant light loss, using a smaller aperture to increase depth of field is generally impractical.

Furthermore, the type of camera used means that the focal field is uneven, so the software controlling the camera operation needs to be further magnified to eliminate blurry corners in the actual image. To provide different magnification levels for different skin conditions, additional adapters are needed to provide users with the ability to obtain 30x, 50x, and 80x magnification.

Resolution and color quality – Due to the use of older analog video image capture hardware, the signal's color gamut coverage is compromised, and some colors cannot be fully reproduced after the analog-to-digital conversion process. This often means that the type of monitor the user is using requires more vivid display characteristics to match the PAL or NTSC color gamut. Most laptop LCD screens tend to produce dim images, making diagnosis more difficult.

Therefore, the principles described herein were developed in response to this context, seeking to at least partially overcome or improve upon the aforementioned shortcomings of previous or existing skin examination devices/techniques.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect, an illumination device is provided for use with a device operable for examining a skin area. The illumination device includes: a reflector device or module having a reflective portion configured to operate for reflecting light received by the reflective portion; and a light-emitting device or module disposed between the reflector device or module and the skin area, and the light-emitting device or module being arranged to operate with the reflector device or module such that a portion of light emitted from the light-emitting device or module encounters or contacts the reflective portion of the reflector device or module, the encounter or contact being configured to operate to promote scattering or diffusion of light reflected from the reflective portion of the reflector device or module to be projected onto the skin area, thereby increasing the variability or inconsistency of the incident incident scattered/diffused light received throughout the skin area.

In one implementation, an increase in the variability or inconsistency of the incident reflected scattered/diffuse light received throughout the skin area is used to promote the distribution or dispersion of light received by the subsurface of the skin area. In this way, the subsurface structure becomes brighter as the reflected scattered/diffuse light enters the skin at the skin area. This is advantageous when the skin surface is oily.

In the principles described herein, the term "incident" for reflected scattered/diffuse light refers to the angle between the incident ray and a ray perpendicular to the surface at the point of incidence. In this paper, the scattering/diffuse of reflected light (rays) results in multiple rays being received by the skin site, each with a different angle of incidence, thus increasing the variability or inconsistency of the incident reflected scattered/diffuse light received throughout the skin site.

In the principles described in this article, the terms "scattering" and "diffusion" refer to the deviation of light rays from their straight path.

In the principles described in this article, the term “dispersion” and its variations refer to the overall distribution or propagation of light (rays).

In one embodiment, the encounter or contact between a portion of light emitted from the light-emitting device and the reflective portion of the reflector device or module is configured to substantially reduce sharp or direct incidence of light received at the skin site, and/or substantially reduce sharp or direct reflection of light from the skin site.

In one embodiment, the encounter or contact between a portion of light emitted from the light-emitting device and the reflective portion of the reflector device or module is configured to facilitate the scattering or dispersion/diffusion of the received light intended for projection onto the skin area, in order to promote a generally uniform or homogeneous distribution of light that can be received throughout the skin area.

In one embodiment, the reflective portion of the reflector device or module is configured to disperse/diffuse or scatter light received from the light-emitting device or module. In this way, light dispersed/diffused or scattered by encountering/contacting the reflective portion of the reflector device or module can be received at the skin site at a substantially obtuse angle of incidence.

Consistent with the principles described herein, implementations of the illumination device seek to reduce substantial or extreme differences in light intensity reflected from the skin site to any imaging device examining the skin site. In some implementations, this reduction in substantial or extreme differences in the intensity of reflected light (from the skin site) can serve to reduce or lessen the requirements for image correction. For example, reducing light that is directly or strongly reflected back to the image capturing device/module (representing conventional illumination devices used in existing skin examination equipment) can correspondingly increase the visibility of subepidermal cellular structures in the examined skin site.

In one embodiment, a separate portion of light is emitted from the light-emitting device or module, which can be received by the skin without encountering or contacting the reflective portion of the reflector device or module.

In one form, the reflector device or module includes a body having a profile similar to or substantially similar to that of a planar disk or a planar annular disk.

In one embodiment, the reflective portion is carried by one side of the body of the reflector device or module, which can be arranged to generally face and be generally parallel to the skin area.

In one embodiment, the body of the reflector device or module can be oriented to align with the side of the reflective portion of the body, such that the body is substantially perpendicular to the axis (e.g., optical axis) of the lighting device, and light radiates toward and is reflected from the skin relative to the optical axis of the lighting device.

In another embodiment, a portion of the reflective portion includes or is configured with any of the following: a metallic material, a reflective surface, a mirror or reflective mesh (e.g., a metallic material or substrate), a surface profile with a generally non-uniform or non-uniform shape, a surface profile including a pattern (regular or otherwise) consisting of raised or protruding or convex structures, a metallic material including a regular grid consisting of raised structures (e.g., ridges or shadows) or ridge-like structures, or a coating providing a texture including any of the above features.

In another embodiment, the light-emitting device or module includes a plurality of light-emitting elements positioned around or near the periphery of the body of the reflector device or module.

In another embodiment, multiple light-emitting elements are arranged at equal intervals relative to each other.

In one embodiment, one or more of the plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged to emit or radiate a first portion of light toward a reflective portion carried by the body of a reflector device or module.

In one embodiment, one or more of the plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged to emit or radiate a second portion of light for projection onto or away from the reflector device or module.

In another embodiment, one or more of the plurality of light-emitting elements are configured to have a light emission or dispersion range of about 120 degrees, which is located on a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the reflective portion of the reflector device or module, such that at least a portion of the emitted light encounters or contacts the reflective portion and is thus dispersed/diffused/scattered.

In another embodiment, the body of the reflector device or module includes an aperture arranged substantially concentrically with the periphery of the body, through which light reflected from the skin portion is transmitted to any one of an imaging device or module, a distortion correction lens, or a liquid lens type lens, and/or the light reflected from the skin portion has been transmitted through any one of a distortion correction lens or a polarizing filter. In one form, the aperture is substantially concentric with the axis of the illumination device.

In one embodiment, any one of a plurality of light-emitting elements is configured such that one or more characteristics of the light emitted from the associated light-emitting element are adjustable or controllable. For example, the characteristics of the light emitted from the light-emitting element may include, for example, light intensity and color. Those skilled in the art will understand that other features may be configured to be adjustable or controllable.

In one embodiment, the plurality of light-emitting elements includes a first group of light-emitting elements and a second group of light-emitting elements, each of the first group of light-emitting elements and the second group of light-emitting elements being configured to be controllable by a corresponding controller module, wherein any one of the plurality of light-emitting elements is configured to be operable such that one or more characteristics of the light emitted from the relevant light-emitting element are adjustable or controllable.

In another embodiment, the light-emitting elements of the first group and the second group are arranged in an alternating or staggered manner around or near the periphery of the body of the reflector device or module. For example, a light-emitting element in one group is positioned near or between the light-emitting elements of another group.

In one embodiment, the operation of any one of the first and second sets of light-emitting elements corresponds to a specific operating mode of the lighting device. For example, the operation of the first set of light-emitting elements corresponds to an operating mode configured to enable a first inspection method performed using the device (e.g., inspecting a generally dry skin area), while the operation of the second set of light-emitting elements corresponds to another operating mode configured to enable a second inspection method performed using the device (e.g., inspecting a skin area coated with a suitable liquid or oil).

In another embodiment, the lighting device operates within a housing, one or more portions of the inner surface of which are configured to reflect scattered or diffused/dispersed light received from a reflector device or module for projection onto the skin area.

In one embodiment, the body of the reflector device or module is provided in the form of a printed circuit board, and/or any of the light-emitting elements is attached or electrically connected to the printed circuit board for operation.

The lighting device may also include a first polarizer (e.g., a polarizing filter) or be arranged to operate together with the first polarizer (e.g., a polarizing filter), which is arranged along the radiating light path between the lighting device or module and the skin area.

The illumination device may also include a second polarizer (e.g., a polarizing filter) or be arranged to operate in conjunction with a second polarizer (e.g., a polarizing filter), positioned along the reflected light path between the skin area and the imaging device or module. In one operable application of the second polarizer, when the light source illuminates or enters the skin area at a single or uniform angle, there is less dispersion (light distribution or diffusion) occurring on the subsurface after entering the skin. Therefore, the second polarizer tends to filter out most of the light reflected from the skin area. The scattered or diffused light received by the skin is further dispersed (light distribution or diffusion) upon entering the skin; therefore, the subsurface structure becomes brighter because a wider range of light reflected from the skin area avoids the effect of the second polarizer.

In one embodiment, the second polarizer polarizes the light in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the first polarizer polarizes the light.

In another embodiment, the first polarizer is configured such that portions of light can be polarized and unpolarized separately for projection onto the skin.

According to a second aspect, an optical device is provided for use with a device operable for examining a skin area, the device having an illumination device or module for illuminating the skin area and an imaging device or module, or the device being arranged to operate together with the illumination device or module for illuminating the skin area and the imaging device or module, the imaging device or module being operable to have a lens through which it receives light. The optical device includes: another lens configured to be operable to alter the light path received by the lens, wherein the optical device is configured to be operable such that, when illuminated by the illumination device or module, light is reflected along a reflected light path from the skin area toward the imaging device or module, wherein the other lens is arranged along the reflected light path between the skin area and the lens of the imaging device or module, and is configured to operate together with or in conjunction with the lens of the imaging device or module, such that the reflected light path undergoes a change for substantially correcting one or more optical distortion effects before reaching the imaging device or module.

In one embodiment, the lens of the imaging device or module is a "liquid lens" type lens. In the principles described herein, the term "liquid lens" refers to a lens formed using the natural shape of a droplet. In this way, liquid lenses have been found to possess properties similar to aspherical lens types, which exhibit a flatter focal field. Advantageously, this allows a single lens element to replace the complex lens design of a small microscope camera (e.g., a pinhole camera).

In one embodiment, another lens includes a distortion correction lens configured to appropriately alter the reflected light path so that the imaging device or module can receive or capture an image that is as free as possible from one or more distortion effects.

In embodiments of this optical device employing a liquid lens, it has been found that optical results approaching microscope quality can be achieved by shifting the focal length of the liquid lens away from, for example, a camera sensor. However, such an arrangement suffers from optical effects such as the "fisheye" effect or very severe "barrel" distortion. The presence of barrel distortion can lead to misdiagnosis in dermoscopy because the shape of, for example, a mole or skin condition may be distorted. The advantage discovered by the developers of the currently described technique is that by placing a second aspherical achromatic lens configured for distortion correction in front of the liquid lens, a "pincushion" effect can be induced, which can be used to reduce or counteract the fisheye/barrel distortion of the liquid lens. In some devices, the liquid lens needs to be defocused to compensate for the additional focal length of the distortion correction lens. The end result can be a very low-distortion skin imaging system suitable for the field of dermoscopy.

The optical device may also include a first polarizer (e.g., a polarizing filter) arranged along the radiating optical path between the lighting device or module and the skin area.

The optical device may also include a second polarizer (e.g., a polarizing filter) arranged along the reflected light path between the skin area and the imaging device or module.

The second polarizer can be arranged along the reflected light path between the distortion correction lens and the imaging device or module.

In one embodiment, the second polarizer polarizes the light in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the first polarizer polarizes the light.

In another embodiment, the first polarizer is configured to enable portions of light to be polarized and unpolarized separately for projection onto the skin.

In one implementation, the imaging device or module is configured to be operable for capturing images. In such an embodiment, the imaging device or module may be provided in the form of an image capture device or module (e.g., a digital camera).

Implementations of lighting devices or modules may include implementations of lighting apparatuses according to the first aspect or as otherwise described herein.

According to a third aspect, an optical device is provided for use with a device operable for examining a skin area, the device having an illumination device or module for illuminating the skin area and an imaging device or module, or the device being arranged to operate together with the illumination device or module for illuminating the skin area and the imaging device or module. The optical device includes: a liquid lens of the type arranged to be operablely associated with the imaging device or module; and a distortion correction lens; wherein the optical device is configured to be operable such that, when illuminated by the illumination device or module, light is reflected along a reflected light path from the skin area toward the imaging device or module; and wherein the distortion correction lens is arranged along the reflected light path between the skin area and the liquid lens.

Implementations of the optical apparatus of this aspect may include any features, individually or in combination, described with respect to the optical apparatus of the second aspect or as otherwise described herein.

According to a fourth aspect, an apparatus for examining a skin area is provided. The apparatus includes: a housing having its central axis or optical axis substantially perpendicular to the skin area; an illumination device or module disposed within the housing; an imaging device or module disposed within the housing; and a power supply device or module; wherein the housing includes or is provided with a generally flat plate of transparent plastic or glass material that contacts the skin area, wherein light is radiated from the illumination device or module along a radiating optical path to the skin area, and wherein light is reflected from the skin area to the imaging device or module along a reflected optical path.

Implementations of the foregoing aspects and those described below may include any of the features described below, individually or in combination.

Lighting devices or modules are configured or arranged to be operable for emitting and dispersing or scattering light (hereinafter, light emitting and dispersing devices or modules).

In one embodiment, the housing is configured to include or be provided with a generally flat plate member that, during operation of the device, contacts the skin area such that the central axis or optical axis is aligned substantially orthogonal or perpendicular to the skin area. The plate can typically be formed of a suitable transparent material, such as plastic or glass, and is operated to help keep the skin area substantially (as flat as possible), thereby allowing reproducible image reception/capture. The plate can stretch or flatten the skin area for inspection/examination. For hygiene and cleanliness reasons, glass, particularly scratch-resistant, tough, hardened mineral glass, offers advantages as a material for the plate. The plate is also designed to prevent foreign objects from entering the device.

In one implementation, the imaging device or module is configured to operate for receiving and/or capturing images. In such embodiments, the imaging device or module may include an image capture device or module (e.g., a digital camera) or be provided in the form of an image capture device or module.

In another embodiment, the device further includes a distortion correction lens arranged along the reflected light path between the skin area and the imaging device or module.

In one embodiment, the device further includes a first polarizer (e.g., a polarizing filter) arranged along the radiation path between the light emitting and dispersing device or module and the skin site.

In another embodiment, the device further includes a second polarizer (e.g., a polarizing filter) disposed along the reflected light path between the skin area and the imaging device or module. In one form, the second polarizer may be disposed along the reflected light path between the distortion correction lens and the imaging device or module.

In one embodiment, the first polarizer and the second polarizer are arranged or configured to operate to provide the device with a cross-polarization filter device for reducing unwanted specular reflections.

In another embodiment, the second polarizer polarizes the light in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the first polarizer polarizes the light.

In one implementation, the radiating optical path and the reflecting optical path travel or operate relative to the central axis or optical axis.

In another embodiment, the first polarizer is configured with one or more holes that allow a portion of the radiating light path to pass through.

In another embodiment, the light emitting and dispersing device or module, the imaging device or module, and/or the first polarizer and/or the second polarizer are arranged to be substantially concentric with the central axis or optical axis.

In another embodiment, the light emitting and dispersing device or module includes a body having a profile similar to a flat annular disk or planar annular disk oriented generally perpendicular to the axis of the device.

In one embodiment, the light emitting and dispersing device or module includes a profile and shape substantially similar to the profile or shape of a generally planar or flat annular disk.

In one device, the light emitting and dispersing device is a generally flat annular disk, which is oriented generally perpendicular to the central axis or optical axis of the device for operability.

In another embodiment, the light emitting and dispersing device or module is provided or exemplified in the form of a printed circuit board.

In one embodiment, the light emitting and dispersing device or module may be provided or exemplified in the form of a printed circuit board having a generally flat annular disk profile, which is oriented generally perpendicular to the central axis or optical axis of the device for operable use.

In another embodiment, a portion of the surface of the light emitting and dispersing device or module is reflective.

In one embodiment, the light emitting and dispersing device or module is oriented such that, for the operable use of the device, the reflective surface portion faces the skin area.

Light emitting and dispersing devices or modules may contain multiple light-emitting elements.

In another embodiment, the light emitting and dispersing device or module has a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged at or near the periphery or outer periphery of a planar annular disk or a flat annular disk. In this way, the light emitting and dispersing device or module has a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged at or near the periphery of the body of the lighting device or module.

In one configuration, the light-emitting elements can be arranged at equal intervals.

In one embodiment, the light-emitting element is arranged to provide a generally uniform or uniformly distributed emitted light around the light emitting and dispersing device or module.

In another embodiment, any light-emitting element is provided in the form of a light-emitting diode.

In one arrangement, any light-emitting element may be provided in the form of a light-emitting diode that is circuitically connected to a printed circuit board of a light-emitting and dispersing device or module.

In another embodiment, the light-emitting element is oriented to emit light onto the reflective surface portion of the light-emitting and scattering device or module.

In another embodiment, any light-emitting element is configured to be on a plane substantially perpendicular to the reflective surface or to have a dispersion angle of about 120° relative to that plane.

In another embodiment, the reflected light path travels along the central axis or optical axis and passes through the center of the light emitting and dispersing device or module.

In one embodiment, the reflective surface portion of the light emitting and dispersing device or module is configured to be substantially non-uniform or have non-uniform properties so as to disperse/diffuse or scatter light received from the light-emitting element of the light emitting and dispersing device or module away from the reflective surface portion.

In one embodiment, the reflective surface portion of the light emitting and dispersing device or module is configured with a generally regular pattern of raised, protruding, or convex portions, the pattern presenting the overall shape of the reflective surface portion in a generally non-uniform or non-consistent manner. It should be understood that the non-uniform nature of the reflective surface portion can be achieved in various ways, including, for example, a suitable substrate having a suitable patterned texture or mesh, configured to be operable to reflect light in a manner that disperses/diffuses or scatters the received light away from the reflective surface portion.

In another embodiment, the reflective surface portion of the light emitting and dispersing device or module has a generally regular ridge pattern.

In one embodiment, the reflective surface portion exhibits reflectivity through a mesh-like non-uniform coating. The mesh coating can form a regular pattern.

In another embodiment, one or more portions of the inner surface of the housing adjacent to the plate are configured to be reflective. This allows light received from the light emitting and dispersing device or module to be reflected and projected onto the skin.

In another embodiment, the imaging device is provided in the form of a digital camera.

In another embodiment, the power supply device or module is configured to supply or distribute power to any onboard component of a device that requires power to operate.

In one embodiment, the power supply device or module is configured to receive electrical energy or power from an electrical energy source or power source (e.g., main power supply, battery power, and which may be external to or internal to/on the device) for supplying or distributing electrical energy or power to any onboard components of the device that require power to operate.

In one implementation, the power supply device or module is disposed inside or on the device. The power supply device or module may be configured to operate to receive electrical energy or power from an external electrical energy source or power supply to supply/distribute it to any onboard component of the device via wires (e.g., via USB or similar cables).

In another embodiment, the power supply device or module may be located inside the device. In one form, the power supply device or module includes a battery disposed inside or on the device.

In one embodiment, the device further includes or contains a controller or module.

In another embodiment, the control device or module is adapted to signal the imaging device or module to capture an image. In this way, the device may include or contain a control device or module, such as a button or touchpad, which, when activated, signals the device to operate for image capture.

In another embodiment, the device is arranged or configured to be operatively associated or connected to an external electronic device—such as a non-portable or portable computer, desktop computer, laptop computer, portable or mobile device, table or similar electronic device—to communicate with the electronic device to perform operational activities (e.g., triggered by a user or operator of the associated electronic device), such as data transmission or image capture.

In another form, the device can remotely transmit signals from external electronic devices, computer systems, or computer networks (e.g., via wired or wireless communication devices) to capture images (or perform other operations).

The device can be connected to or associated with an external computer via cable or wireless connection. The external computer can act as an external power supply device or module to provide power to the device.

The device can be arranged or configured to operate with appropriate hardware or circuitry to enable connection to computing networks or cloud-based networks/systems via wireless or wired communication, including, for example, non-portable or portable computers, desktop computers, laptops, portable or mobile devices, tables, or similar electronic devices.

In one form, the device is configured to be operable such that the light-emitting element can be activated when the device receives power.

In another form, the device is configured such that the activation of the light-emitting element can be controlled or controlled by a properly configured control system.

The light-emitting element may be controlled or modally controlled to achieve adjustable light levels, sequential activation, and other similar requirements within the scope understood by those skilled in the art.

In some implementations, the emitting and dispersing device or module may include any implementation according to the following arrangement or configuration: (i) the lighting device described in the first aspect above or as otherwise described herein, and/or, (ii) the optical arrangement described in the second or third aspect above or as otherwise described herein.

The embodiments of the lighting devices, optical devices, and equipment described herein can be configured to adapt to or use the oil immersion method as described above.

In one embodiment, the housing is configured to be substantially dustproof. In another embodiment, the housing is configured to be substantially splashproof. The housing may be configured to be substantially waterproof or water-resistant.

In another embodiment, the device also includes a handle attached to or coupled to the housing. In one form, the handle may be detachably attached to the housing.

According to a fifth aspect, an apparatus for examining a skin site is provided, comprising: a housing; an illumination device or module disposed within the housing; an imaging device or module disposed within the housing; a liquid lens type lens disposed in an operable manner associated with the imaging device or module; and a distortion correction lens. In use, the apparatus is configured to be operable such that: (i) light is radiated through the illumination device or module to be projected onto the skin site along a radiating optical path; and (ii) light is reflected from the skin site toward the imaging device or module along a reflected optical path. The distortion correction lens is disposed between the skin site and the liquid lens along the reflected optical path.

The implementation of the device in the fifth aspect may include any features (alone or in combination) described with respect to the device in the fourth aspect or as otherwise described herein.

Furthermore, implementations of the device in the fourth and/or fifth aspects may include any features (in individual or combined forms) described with respect to the lighting device of the first aspect (or as otherwise described herein) and/or the optical device of the second or third aspect (or as otherwise described herein).

According to another aspect, a device for examining a skin area is provided, comprising: a housing with its central axis perpendicular to the skin area; a light emitting and dispersing device disposed within the housing; an image capturing device disposed within the housing; and a power supply. The housing includes a substantially flat, transparent plastic or glass plate that contacts the skin area during use; light is radiated from the light emitting and dispersing device along a radiating optical path to the skin area, and light is reflected from the skin area along a reflected optical path to the image capturing device.

According to another aspect, a method for examining skin using an embodiment of a device arranged substantially according to the fourth or fifth aspect, or as otherwise described herein, is provided, wherein the method includes the steps of: selecting a skin region; positioning the device such that a substantially flat plate contacts the skin region; activating the device to emit light within the device such that a large amount of light is scattered, dispersed, or diffused within the device; and projecting light onto the skin region. Thereby, light reflected from the skin region propagates along a reflected light path to an image receiving or capturing device or module that receives/captures image data.

In one implementation, the light is polarized by a first polarizer before being projected onto the skin.

In another embodiment, the light in the reflected optical path passes through a distortion correction lens before reaching the image receiving or capturing device or module.

In a preferred embodiment, the light in the reflected light path is polarized by a second polarizer before reaching the image receiving or capturing device or module.

In another embodiment, the image receiving or capturing device or module transmits image data to an external electronic device (e.g., a computer). Any such transmission can be via a wired or wireless connection between the device and the external electronic device.

In another implementation, the image data can be modified or modified using software.

According to another aspect, a method is provided for illuminating a skin area during an examination of the skin area, the method comprising: configuring a reflector device or module to have a reflective portion configured to be operable for reflecting light received by the reflective portion; configuring a light-emitting device or module to be operable between the reflector device or module and the skin area; configuring the light-emitting device and the reflector device or module such that a portion of light emitted from the light-emitting device or module encounters or contacts the reflective portion; and configuring the reflector portion of the reflector device or module such that encountering or contacting the portion of light emitted from the light-emitting device or module with the reflective portion is operable to promote scattering or diffusion of light reflected from the reflective portion to be projected onto the skin area, for increasing the variability or inconsistency of the incident incident scattered/diffused light received throughout the skin area.

According to another aspect, an imaging method is provided for operating a device for examining a skin area, the device having or arranged to operate with: an illumination device or module arranged to operate for illuminating the skin area; and an imaging device or module operably associated with a lens, the imaging device or module receiving light through the lens, the illumination device or module being operable for illuminating the skin area such that light is reflected from the skin area toward the imaging device or module along a reflected light path. The imaging method includes: configuring another lens operable to alter the light path received by the other lens, thereby enabling operation or co-operation with the lens of the imaging device or module, such that the reflected light path undergoes a modification for substantially correcting one or more optical distortion effects before reaching the imaging device or module; arranging the other lens along the reflected light path between the skin area and the lens of the imaging device or module; and illuminating the skin area through the illumination device or module such that light is reflected from the skin area toward the imaging device or module along the reflected light path.

According to another aspect, an apparatus for examining skin areas is provided, the apparatus including any embodiment of an illumination device or module as described herein, the illumination device or module being arranged to operate in conjunction with any embodiment of an optical device as described herein.

According to another aspect, a method for using any implementation of the device described herein is provided.

According to another aspect, a method is provided for examining a portion or area of skin using any implementation of the device described herein.

Readers should understand that any documents, references, patent applications, or patents cited in this article are explicitly incorporated into the entirety of this article through citation, meaning that readers should read and consider them as part of this article. The cited documents, references, patent applications, or patents are not repeated here for the sake of brevity.

In this specification, when discussing literary works, actions, or knowledge items (or combinations thereof), such references do not acknowledge or endorse that any information referenced constitutes part of common general knowledge as of the priority date. Such information is intended only to provide background information to aid in understanding the concepts/principles of the invention and the various forms or implementations of these inventive concepts/principles.

As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, the various aspects, examples, or implementations described herein can be practiced alone or in combination with any one or more other described aspects, examples, or implementations. The described aspects, examples, or implementations may optionally be provided in combination with one or more optional features described with respect to other aspects, examples, or implementations. Furthermore, the optional features described with respect to one aspect, example, or implementation may optionally be combined alone or in combination with other features described with respect to different aspects, examples, or implementations.

To summarize the various aspects, examples, or implementations of the principles described herein, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features have been described above and herein. However, it should be understood that not all of these advantages can necessarily be achieved according to any particular implementation, or in a manner that implements or optimizes one or more advantages taught herein, without necessarily implementing other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

Attached Figure Description

The following description of one or more non-limiting examples or embodiments of the principles of the invention will more fully describe other features of the principles of the invention. This description is for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the generalization, disclosure, or description set forth above or herein.

The inventive principles of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device for examining skin areas according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the component modules of the device shown in Figure 1: the upper illustration of Figure 3 shows one embodiment of the distortion correction lens (60) used in the device (10); the lower illustration of Figure 3 shows the alignment of the first polarizer (70) and the second polarizer (80) when viewed along the axis (15) towards the digital camera (40).

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detailed cross-sectional view B of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an image of a irritated, mildly dysplastic junctional melanocytic nevus taken using a device according to Australian Patent AU 199538975.

Figure 7 is an image of a irritated, mildly dysplastic junctional melanocytic nevus taken using the device according to the present invention.

Figure 8 is an image of nodular basal cell carcinoma taken using a device according to Australian Patent AU 199538975.

Figure 9 is an image of nodular basal cell carcinoma taken using the device according to the present invention.

Figure 10 is an image of basal cell carcinoma taken using a device according to Australian Patent AU 199538975.

Figure 11 is an image of basal cell carcinoma taken using the device according to the present invention.

Figure 12 is a detailed cross-sectional view of region E shown in Figure 5, including a lower inset showing the metal-filled pattern of the reflective surface portion (34).

Figure 13A shows an example of an image of a skin region without cross-polarization, illustrating the reflection from the oily surface of the skin as seen (in the case shown).

Figure 13B shows an example of the same skin area as shown in Figure 13A, but with cross-polarization enabled, in which reflections from the oily surface are filtered out.

Figure 14 shows an example image of a 1mm grid paper, which demonstrates the effectiveness of one embodiment of the optical device described herein, in which all lines of the grid are shown as straight lines without any obvious visible distortion.

In the accompanying drawings, the same elements are represented by the same reference numerals in the provided views. Those skilled in the art will understand that the elements in the drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some elements in the drawings may be exaggerated relative to other elements to facilitate understanding of the various embodiments of the principles described herein. Furthermore, common but easily understood elements that are useful or necessary in commercially viable embodiments are generally not depicted to provide less obstructive views of these various embodiments. It should also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have their general meanings in relation to the respective fields of inquiry and research, unless otherwise specified herein.

It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are merely schematic, and the positions and arrangements of the components may vary depending on the specific arrangement of the embodiments and the specific applications of these embodiments.

Specifically, positional descriptions such as “lower” and “upper”, and related references such as “top” and “bottom”, should be understood in conjunction with the embodiments shown in the figures, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the principles described herein to the literal interpretation of the terms, but rather as would be understood by those skilled in the art.

The implementation described herein may include one or more numerical ranges (e.g., dimensions, displacements, and field strengths). A numerical range will be understood to include all values within that range, including values defining the range and values adjacent to the range, which result in the same or substantially the same outcome as the values immediately adjacent to the boundary of the defined range.

Other definitions of the selected terms used herein can be found in the detailed description and apply throughout. Unless otherwise defined, all other scientific and technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art in relation to the implementation of the methods.

Detailed Implementation

The terms used in this specification are descriptive and not restrictive, and it should be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of any aspect of the principles described herein. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that various modifications, variations, alterations, and combinations can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of any aspect of the principles described, and such modifications, variations, and combinations will be considered to fall within the scope of the inventive concept.

Throughout the specification and the appended claims, unless the context otherwise requires, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” shall be understood to imply inclusion of the specified integer or group of integers, but not to exclude any other integer or group of integers.

Furthermore, throughout the specification and the appended claims, unless the context otherwise requires, the word “include” or variations such as “includes” or “including” shall be understood to imply inclusion of the specified integer or group of integers, but not to exclude any other integer or group of integers.

Figures 1 through 5, 12 and 13 illustrate one embodiment of the device 10, which exemplifies the principles described herein. This device is particularly well-suited for handheld use for examining a target skin area (hereinafter referred to as skin area 18—shown in Figure 5 for reference).

As will be described below, aspects of the device 10 include an illumination device for illuminating the skin region 18 in an attempt to reduce the substantial (or as great as possible) difference in light intensity reflected from the skin region to any imaging device—through which the skin region is examined. More broadly, the illumination device seeks to promote the scattering or diffusion of light received by the skin region 18 to promote an increased distribution of the subsurface of the skin region receiving light, thereby increasing the range of light reflected from the skin region for imaging/diagnostic purposes.

The device 10 also employs an optical device that is operable to achieve improved optical images for use in the field of dermoscopy, having low distortion and/or near-microscopic quality.

Referring to Figures 1 through 5, device 10 includes a housing 20 and an illumination device or module (hereinafter referred to as light emitting and scattering module 30). A portion of housing 20 at least partially defines a generally central axis 15 (hereinafter referred to as central axis 15). The illumination device or module is operable for emitting and scattering/scattering light and is arranged within housing 20. Device 10 also includes an imaging module for receiving/capturing images of skin site 18. In the form of device 10 described herein, the imaging module is provided in the form of a digital camera 40 arranged within housing 20. Digital camera 40 has or is operatively arranged with an associated lens 40a through which light reflected from skin site 18 is received by digital camera 40 (or any imaging module that may be employed). As shown in Figure 5, central axis 15 may also be referred to as optical axis because light radiated from light emitting and scattering module 30 and reflected from skin site 18 to digital camera 40 travels relative to (or relative to) central axis/optical axis 15.

The imaging module may include any module suitable for operating to receive light corresponding to an image of the skin site 18. The imaging module may be configured to be operable to enable the capture of images of the skin site 18 for, for example, downstream processing (e.g., using an external electronic device with appropriate software) or local/external storage. Furthermore, the imaging module may be configured to be operable to enable real-time examination of images of the skin site 18 for manual inspection/examination by a clinician.

The housing 20 is configured to include or provide a generally flat plate member (hereinafter referred to as plate 22) that, during operation of the device 10, contacts the skin portion 18 to align with the central axis 15, thereby being generally orthogonal or perpendicular to the skin portion 18. Plate 22 is typically formed of a suitable transparent material, such as plastic or glass, and serves to help flatten the skin portion 18 (as much as possible), thereby enabling repeated reception/capture of comparable images. Plate 22 can stretch or flatten the skin portion 18 for examination/testing. For hygiene and cleanliness reasons, glass, particularly scratch-resistant, tough, hardened mineral glass, is preferred as the material for plate 22. Plate 22 also aims to prevent foreign objects from entering the device 10.

In some arrangements of the device 10, walls, boundaries, or skirt structures may be provided or formed around a generally flat plate 22, which attempt to prevent external light from entering the area of the skin site 18 and intentionally distort the examination results.

The device 10 is configured to operate such that, in use, light is radiated from the light emitting and dispersing module 30 along the radiating light path 25 to the skin part 18; and light is reflected from the skin part 18 to the digital camera 40 along the reflecting light path 27.

Traditional devices that project, emit, or radiate light directly onto the skin must be adjusted to accommodate or counteract most of the light reflected back to the imaging device used.

On the one hand, consistent with the principles described herein, device 10 is configured such that the illumination device specifically diffuses or scatters light (diffuse/scattered light is indicated by reference numeral 25-Y in FIG. 5) before the light is projected onto the skin site 18, thereby reducing the occurrence of localized light intensity due to direct or intense reflections in the reflected light path 27. This allows digital camera 40 to capture images without extreme differences in light intensity and/or reduces the need for image correction. The reduction in light directly reflected back to the image receiving/capturing device/module (representing the conventional illumination device used in existing skin examination equipment) results in a corresponding increase in the visibility of the subsurface cellular structures of the skin site 18.

Therefore, capturing images at such a short distance using a device that directly illuminates the skin at full intensity typically results in localized hotspots and uneven illumination intensity, which is detrimental to the quality of the final image. One aspect of the present invention seeks to address this impairment by utilizing diffused, scattered, or dispersed light that has been diffused and/or scattered by the light emitting and dispersing module 30. For example, as shown with reference to FIG. 5, diffused/scattered light 25-Y enters or shines into the skin of skin site 18 at a generally obtuse angle of incidence, thereby reducing the frequency of direct reflection from the skin surface (to the associated image capture module), thus uniformly illuminating the skin of skin site 18 and allowing for clearer perception of subsurface cellular structures from a relatively close distance to skin site 18. In this way, direct reflection of light from the skin surface to the associated image capture module (e.g., digital camera 40) can be reduced.

It has been determined that light emitted by a suitable light emitter does not necessarily have to diffuse 100% in this manner, as some direct light is not undesirable. In some cases, some direct light (light radiated directly from the light emitter (32), indicated by reference numeral 25-X in Figure 5) can make the image brighter and clearer.

The device 10 also employs an optical arrangement including a distortion correction lens 60, which is positioned along the reflected light path 27 between the skin area 18 and the imaging module (i.e., the digital camera 40). In one embodiment, referring to Figures 3, 4, and 5, the distortion correction lens 60 comprises two optical lenses 60a and 60b fused together, the two lenses 60a and 60b having corresponding densities different from each other. More broadly, the distortion correction lens 60 is configured to operate or cooperate with lens 40a of the digital camera 40 to modify the reflected light path 27, thereby correcting, remedying, or remedying one or more optical distortion effects.

In short, traditional lens design requires the use of compound lenses to correct distortions and optical aberrations, such as chromatic aberration, "barrel" distortion, and "pincushion" distortion. Distortions and aberrations are typically caused by the spherical structure of the lens. To reduce chromatic aberration and shape distortion, lens designers need precise tools to shape aspherical lenses.

Referring again to Figures 3, 4, and 5, the preferred lens 40a, which can be operated with the digital camera 40, is a lens referred to as a liquid lens, possessing properties similar to aspherical lenses. In the principles described herein, the term "liquid lens" refers to a lens formed using the natural shape of a droplet. This type of lens has been found to allow a single lens element to replace the complex lens designs suitable for small microscope cameras (e.g., pinhole cameras). Liquid lens technology is relatively new and currently applied in the field of microscopy. The inventors of the currently described technology have discovered that applying certain optical properties of liquid lens technology to this field of study, which relates to close-up imaging of skin areas using portable devices to achieve similar image sharpness/quality typically achieved under a microscope, can yield advantages.

By shifting the focal length of the liquid lens away from the camera sensor, near-microscopic quality images can be obtained, but this results in a "fisheye" effect or severe "barrel" distortion. Barrel distortion often leads to misdiagnosis in dermoscopy because the shape of moles or skin conditions can be distorted. The advantage discovered by the developers of the currently described technique is that a "pincushion" effect can be produced by placing a second aspherical achromatic lens (distortion correction lens 60) in front of the liquid lens 40a (in the reflected light path 27), thereby reducing or eliminating the fisheye/barrel distortion of the liquid lens 40a. The liquid lens 40a needs to be defocused to compensate for the additional focal length of the second (or distortion correction) lens 60. The end result is that the distortion of skin imaging systems now suitable for dermoscopy is generally very low. Referring to Figure 14, an example image of a 1mm grid paper demonstrating the effectiveness of the optical device described herein is shown, where all lines of the grid are shown as straight lines without any noticeable visible distortion.

Referring to Figure 3, an embodiment of the optical device used in device 10 includes a first polarizer 70 (e.g., a linear polarizing filter element or component) arranged along the radiating optical path 25 between the light emitting and dispersing device 30 and the skin portion 18. The optical device 10 also includes a second polarizer 80 (e.g., a linear polarizing filter element or component) arranged along the reflected optical path 27 between the skin portion 18 and the digital camera 40. In the illustrated embodiment, the second polarizer 80 is arranged along the reflected optical path 27 between the distortion correction lens 60 and the digital camera 40. Referring to Figure 3, the first polarizer 70 has a flat/planar disk shape and is provided with a central aperture 70a to allow light reflected from the skin portion 18 to reach the digital camera 40. The second polarizer 80 is also a flat/planar disk shape, but does not have a central aperture.

In one embodiment (as seen in device 10), the second polarizer 80 is arranged such that light is polarized in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the first polarizer 70 polarizes light. Using a pair of opposing polarizing elements (70, 80) arranged in this manner is beneficial for improving the quality of the captured image because cross-polarization reduces the amount of light directly reflected from the skin surface, allowing for clearer observation of subsurface details. Linearly polarized reflected light can be filtered out by the second polarizer (80). In operation with the illumination device, when light enters or shines into the skin portion 18 at a single or uniform angle, less dispersion (light distribution or diffusion) occurs at the subsurface after entering the skin. Thus, the second polarizer 80 will tend to filter out most of the light reflected from the skin portion 18. The reflected, scattered, or diffused light received by the skin is further dispersed (light distribution or diffusion) after entering the skin, and therefore the subsurface structure becomes brighter because a larger range of light reflected from the skin portion avoids the effect of the second polarizer 80.

Referring to Figures 3, 5, and 13, as described above, the first polarizer 70 and the second polarizer 80 are arranged or configured to provide a cross-polarization filter arrangement to the device 10. As shown in Figure 3, the first polarizer 70 (a relatively larger component compared to the second polarizer 80) is located in front of the annular arrangement of the light-emitting elements 32 of the light-emitting and scattering module 30 and the reflective mesh 34 (described below). Thus, the first polarizer 70 is arranged along the radiation optical path 25 between the light-emitting and scattering module 30 and the skin portion 18. The second polarizer 80 (a relatively smaller component compared to the first polarizer 70) is arranged along the reflection optical path 27 between the distortion correction lens 60 and the digital camera 40. The second polarizer 80 is used to polarize light in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction used by the first polarizer 70 to polarize light (thus achieving the cross-polarization function). The first polarizer 70 and the second polarizer 80 are linear polarizers, and their polarization planes are aligned with each other at approximately 90° (see the lower inset of Figure 3, showing the 90° alignment between the polarization planes of the first and second polarizers). The LED light passing through the first polarizer 70 will be polarized in only one plane. As the light penetrates the skin, the polarizer plane changes angle, and when the light is reflected back to the digital camera 40, the camera will only see light rays with the same plane. Any reflections from the outer layer of the skin area 18 will be filtered out by the second polarizer 80. Referring to Figures 13A and 13B: Figure 13A shows an example image of a skin area without cross-polarization, illustrating reflections from the oily (in the case shown) surface of the skin, and Figure 13B shows the same example skin area as shown in Figure 13A, but with cross-polarization enabled, filtering out reflections from the oily surface.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 4, housing 20 consists of three parts: rear housing part 20a, front housing part 20b, and head housing part 20c. Housing 20 is configured to be generally dustproof and waterproof to prevent (or mitigate) damage to internal components and maintain a stable image capture environment.

Implementations of the device embodying the principles described herein may include a handle portion for manual operation or a frame/support structure for static operation. In the form described herein, referring to FIG2, the housing 20 has a handle portion at the proximal end 21 of the device 10 and a generally cylindrical head at the distal end 23 of the device 10, the head containing component module 12. At one end of the generally cylindrical head is a truncated hemispherical/semi-spherical portion, and at the distal end 29 is a generally flat plate 22 of transparent plastic or glass material, which is generally perpendicular to and centered on or relative to the central axis 15. In use, the flat plate 22 contacts the skin portion 18, making that area generally flattened.

Referring to Figure 2, component module 12 is located within housing 20, within the head of device 10, and is centered on or substantially concentric with central axis 15. Referring also to Figure 3, component module 12 includes: light emitting and scattering module 30, digital camera 40, distortion correction lens 60, first polarizer 70, and second polarizer 80. The light emitting and scattering module 30, digital camera 40, distortion correction lens 60, first polarizer 70, and second polarizer 80 are all positioned substantially centered on or substantially concentric with central axis 15.

In use, referring to Figure 5, light typically radiates from the light emitting and dispersing module 30 along the radiation optical path 25 to the skin region 18, where the first component (25-Y) is diffused/dispersed/scattered to be projected onto the skin region, and the second component (25-X) is directly projected onto the skin region. Light is reflected from the skin region 18 to the digital camera 40 along the reflection optical path 27. The reflection optical path 27 passes through the central axis 15 and through the central region of the light emitting and dispersing module 30 via a hole 72 formed in the body of the light emitting and dispersing module. As described below, the body of the light emitting and dispersing module 30 is provided in the form of a printed circuit board (as shown in Figure 3).

As described above, the distortion correction lens 60 is positioned along the reflected light path 27 between the skin portion 18 and the digital camera 40. Referring to Figures 3 and 5, the distortion correction lens 60 is provided as a compound lens (manufactured by Edmund Optics) consisting of two optical lenses 60a and 60b fused together, each having a corresponding density different from the other. In this way, the optical effect results in a compound lens 60 exhibiting a "pincushion" property, the optical advantage of which is to counteract as much as possible the spherical "barrel" distortion produced by the liquid lens 40a used with the (high-resolution) digital camera 40. See Figure 14, which shows a (grid) example image demonstrating the effectiveness of the optical device described herein.

Referring to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 12, the light emitting and dispersing module 30 is provided in the form of a printed circuit board having a body that is generally a planar annular disk or a flat annular disk shape/contour, and in use, the light emitting and dispersing module 30 is oriented generally perpendicular to the central axis 15 of the device 10. The body of the light emitting and dispersing module 30 also includes a generally circular aperture 72 (as shown in Figure 3), which is generally concentrically aligned with the central axis 15 for allowing light (27) reflected from the skin portion 18 to reach the digital camera 40. A portion 34 of the body of the light emitting and dispersing module 30 has a surface arranged facing the skin portion 18 and configured to be reflective; in the illustrated embodiment, this surface includes or is provided with raised or protruding structures/features, which makes the overall shape of the surface portion 34 generally uneven. For an embodiment of the device 10 described herein, as shown in Figures 5 and 12, the unevenness of the surface portion 34 is provided by a regular pattern of raised structures provided by a metal mesh having a mesh pattern and providing a plurality of ridges 36 (see Figure 12, where the lower inset shows the metal-filled pattern of the reflective surface portion 34). However, it should be understood that the unevenness of the surface portion 34 can be achieved in a variety of ways, including, for example, by a suitable substrate or an applied coating (e.g., a reflective coating), the suitable substrate or applied coating exemplifying a suitable patterned texture or mesh pattern operable to reflect light received therefrom, such that the received light is diffused, dispersed, or scattered from the surface portion 34 to be projected onto the skin portion 18.

The light emitting and dispersing module 30 includes a plurality of light-emitting elements provided in the form of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), operable to emit light for illuminating skin area 18. Referring to Figures 3, 4, and 5, a plurality of LEDs 32a and 32b (collectively referred to as LEDs 32) are arranged equidistantly from each other, generally adjacent to the periphery or outer edge of the planar annular disk shape/outline of the printed circuit board of the light emitting and dispersing module 30 (at or near the periphery or outer edge of the planar annular disk shape/outline of the printed circuit board of the light emitting and dispersing module 30). As described below, as shown in Figure 3, the plurality of LEDs 32 consists of two groups: a first group of LEDs 32a and a second group of LEDs 32b. In the arrangement shown in Figure 3, the two groups of LEDs 32a and 32b are arranged to be positioned around the annular shape in an alternating or staggered manner, and the two groups of LEDs 32a and 32b have approximately the same radius outward from the center of the planar annular disk shape/outline of the printed circuit board of the light emitting and dispersing module 30. As shown in Figure 3, one light-emitting element of one group of light-emitting elements (e.g., LED 32b) is adjacent to or between the light-emitting elements of an alternating group of light-emitting elements (e.g., LED 32a). In this way, a first LED ring is formed by LED 32a, and a second LED ring is formed by LED 32b.

Each LED ring can be configured to be selectively operable (e.g., via control/activation devices on the device or via external electronics associated with the device). In the form shown, device 10 includes appropriate electronic circuitry and processing capabilities for operation as will be understood by those skilled in the art. Each LED ring is controllable (via its respective controller) using a corresponding LED driver module (all provided in the form of LT3593 driver modules) to control the brightness/intensity of the LEDs in each respective LED ring to meet the needs of a clinician performing a skin examination. The intensity of LED 32 is software-controlled or can be software-controlled to allow variable combinations of filtered (polarized) and unfiltered (non-polarized) light to reach the surface of skin site 18 (using aperture 71, as described below). Light reflected from the surface of skin site 18 is filtered by a second polarizer 80 (in the reflected light path 27) before entering digital camera 40. With these controlled or controllable intensities of LED 32, structures in the skin can be illuminated in various ways, thus producing a clearer or enhanced image for capture by digital camera 40 or for manual visual examination. In this way, the different brightness/intensity of light emitted by each LED ring, combined with the aperture 71, allows clinicians to observe conditions that would be difficult to identify using only one of the LED rings. In this embodiment of device 10, the LEDs 32 used are controllable, so each LED can provide 32 levels of usable intensity.

LEDs 32 are oriented to emit light onto surface portion 34. Referring to Figures 3, 5, and 12, and as previously indicated, LEDs 32 are oriented such that their entire light emission range does not directly illuminate the skin surface of the object. Thus, each LED 32 is oriented or angled at approximately 90° relative to the plane of the reflective ridge structure 36 of the reflective surface portion 34 (see Figures 3 and 12), such that a portion of the emitted light encounters or comes into contact with the reflective surface portion 34 and is received by the ridge 36. This encounter/contact is operable to produce a desired light diffusion/dispersion/scattering effect before the scattered/diffused/dispersed light is reflected to be projected onto and/or onto the surface of the skin portion 18—reminiscent of the goals sought to be achieved using techniques sometimes referred to as “reflective flash” photography. Regarding Figure 12, LED 32 is configured to have or provide an emitted light range with a dispersion angle of approximately 120° on a plane generally perpendicular to surface portion 34 (see Figure 12, which shows the dispersion range of light emitted by LED 32 around axis P, which is aligned at the midpoint of the edge of the 120° dispersion range of LED 32 and is generally parallel to skin portion 18). LED 32 is positioned in such a way that a portion of the emitted light range is directed toward surface portion 34 for illumination or radiation, and another portion of the emitted light range is directed toward skin portion 18 for illumination/radiation. Therefore, due to the approximately 120° generally wide illumination angle of LED 32, a portion of the light emitted or radiated from LED 32 is also able to illuminate the surface of skin portion 18. It has been found that this combined illumination (involving beams 25-X and 25-Y) can also contribute to producing “soft” or “reflective” reflected illumination (e.g., having a generally shadowless nature) rather than exhibiting so-called “glaring” illumination (with more pronounced shadow characteristics).

As described above, the cross-polarization effect employed in device 10 can be adjusted and/or regulated during skin examination. As shown in FIG3, the first polarizer 70 is configured with a plurality of laser-cutting holes 71 spaced regularly around its annular plane (concentric with the central axis 15). Generally, the holes 71 are used to prevent light emitted from LED 32 from being polarized by the first polarizer 70 before reaching the skin site 18. The size and arrangement of the holes 71 relative to LED 32 are designed such that approximately half of the emitted light can be filtered by the first polarizer 70, and approximately half of the emitted light is protected from the polarization effect of the first polarizer 70. As described above, the first polarizer 70 and the second polarizer 80 are linear polarizers aligned relative to the arrival position such that their polarization planes are approximately 90° apart. Therefore, LED light emitted through the holes 71 can only be polarized in one plane by the second polarizer 80.

When light penetrates the skin at the skin site 18, the polarizer plane changes angle, and when reflected back to the digital camera 40, the camera will only see the reflected light from the same plane. Any reflections from the outer layer of skin will be eliminated by the second polarizer 80. Thus, the fully polarized emitted light projected via the first polarizer 70 enables an operating mode for examining generally dry skin sites (the "dry" method of skin examination). Furthermore, the fully unpolarized emitted light projected via the aperture 71 enables an operating mode for examining the skin site 18 when a suitable fluid or oil has been applied (the "wet" method of skin examination).

As shown again in Figure 3, each aperture 71 is positioned to correspond to an LED 32b of the second LED ring. Thus, light emitted from LED 32b of the second LED ring (either directly or reflected from surface portion 34) passing through the corresponding aperture 71 of the first polarizer 70 will not be polarized before reaching the skin site 18. Similarly, as can be seen in Figure 3, most of the light emitted from LED 32a of the second LED ring (either directly or reflected from surface portion 34) will encounter the first polarizer 70 and be affected by its polarization effect before reaching the skin site 18. Thus, the relative positioning of LED 32b and its corresponding aperture 71, and the variable nature of the brightness/intensity of the light emitted from one or both of the LED rings 32a and 32b (through their respective control circuits), allow for a degree of control over the amount and/or intensity of polarized or unpolarized light reaching the surface of the skin site 18. This allows for the observation of different levels of brightness/intensity of light emitted from each LED ring, enabling clinicians to observe conditions that might be difficult to identify using either LED ring alone.

The inner surface 24 (or a portion thereof) of the adjacent plate 22 of the housing 20c is configured to reflect light received therefrom. This increases the amount of diffused/dispersed/scattered light 25 that can be projected by the device 10, and thus contributes to the efficiency of the device 10. Referring again to FIG5, beams 25-X and 25-Y are shown as emitted from LED 32 through plate 22. As shown, beam 25-X propagates directly from LED 32, and beam 25-Y is reflected or “bounced” from a portion of the inner surface 24 of the housing 20c after being reflected from the reflective/dispersed/scattered surface portion 34 of the light emitting and scattering module 30.

Device 10 includes a power module configured to operate for supplying or distributing electrical energy or power to any onboard components that require power. The power module may be external and/or internal. In the illustrated embodiment, the power module is located on device 10 and is configured to operate for providing power to light emission, image reception/capture, and any control systems that device 10 may have.

In various forms, the power module may include or be arranged to operate in conjunction with a power receiving module configured to receive electrical energy or power from an electrical or power source (e.g., mains power, battery power). The power receiving module may be located externally to or internally to the device and is used to supply or distribute electrical energy/power to any onboard components carried by the device 10 as needed for operation.

In the illustrated configuration, device 10 is configured to connect to an electronic device, such as a laptop or desktop computer, via cable connection 50 (e.g., a USB cable, but it should be understood that any suitably configured cable can be used). Cable connection 50 transmits imaging data from device 10 to the external electronic device (e.g., a computer). Additionally, the external electronic device (such as a laptop/desktop computer) supplies power to device 10 or charges an onboard battery module (if any) via cable connection 50. For example, in one operating mode, LED 32 automatically turns on when device 10 is powered.

In some implementations, the device (10) arranged according to the principles described herein may include a local or onboard power source, such as a battery module or the like.

In an alternative implementation, the device 10 may be configured such that the associated image receiving/capturing module (40) used is adapted to manual or in-situ real-time observation of the skin site, similar to, for example, a microscope, rather than relying solely on digital or analog image capture.

The device (10) arranged according to the principles described herein can be positioned to wirelessly communicate with a suitable electronic device (portable or otherwise) for operation and/or signal/data transmission/communication.

In one embodiment, software hosted by a connected electronic device communicates with an internal microcontroller within the digital camera 40 (via a wired or wireless arrangement), and the software is configured to operate to control two independent (boost) LED driver modules (each provided as an LT3593 driver module), as described above, which are used to operate their respective LED (32a, 32b) rings. In this way, different levels of emitted light brightness/intensity (32 levels of brightness/intensity are provided in the illustrated embodiment) can be obtained, enabling clinicians to observe conditions that are difficult to assess/identify using either of the LED rings alone.

Device 10 includes suitable electronic circuitry for operation, including a processor enabled by a suitable processor module. The processor module can be configured to receive one or more signals, for example, from electronic devices (portable or other electronic devices that can be operated by a consumer or appropriately programmed by a consumer) such as consoles, tablets, mobile phones, desktop computers, remote transmission devices, etc. Signals can also be sent by the electronic devices, causing or enabling the occurrence of any type of operational event. Therefore, the processor module can operate in conjunction with a communication module (not shown) to enable the receipt of control signals/commands from associated/connected electronic devices. Such electronic devices can communicate with the processor module using fully equipped Near Field Communication (NFC). Any other wireless protocol can also be used. The processor module can be configured to control or manage all operations of device 10 independently or in conjunction with inputs from associated electronic devices during use.

Device 10 also includes a control device in the form of a button 90 located on the back of the head of housing 20, which, when activated, signals the device 10 to capture an image. Pressing button 90 signals the digital camera 40 to capture an image. Such a control device may include a touchpad (or a similar interface device) that, when activated, signals the device 10 to capture an image. As described above, device 10 can be configured such that the image capture device used is adapted to manual observation of the relevant target skin area (e.g., similar to a microscope), rather than relying solely on digital or analog image capture, and its control device (e.g., button, touchpad) is operable for enabling manual observation.

The accompanying drawings depict additional structural features of the housing 20 and component module 12, such as washers, threads, and fastening points that would be apparent to those skilled in the art.

According to another aspect, a method for examining skin using an embodiment of a device embodying the principles described herein is provided. Broadly speaking, this method involves: selecting a target skin region (18); positioning an embodiment of such a device (10) such that a substantially flat plate (22) contacts the skin region (18); activating the device (10) to emit light within the device such that a large amount of light diffuses/disperses or scatters within the device; and projecting light (25) onto the skin region (18), whereby light reflected from the skin region (18) propagates along a reflected light path (27) to an image capture module (40) for capturing image data.

Most light is diffusely reflected at the stratum corneum. Some light is reflected by deeper parts of the epidermis. In addition, some light is usually absorbed.

The light can be polarized by a first polarizer (70) before it is projected onto the skin area (18).

Light in the reflected light path (27) can pass through the distortion correction lens (60) before reaching the image capturing device (40).

The light in the reflected light path (27) can be polarized by the second polarizer (80) before reaching the image capturing device (40).

The image capture device (40) can send image data to an external computer or electronic device.

It can record, view, compare, and monitor changes in image data over time. These actions can be performed by an external computer using software.

Image data can be modified using software. This can remove defects or distortions in images, identify areas of interest, and/or perform other functions that aid in diagnosis.

Figures 6 through 11 are a series of comparative images of skin conditions taken using a device according to the technology described in Australian Patent AU 199538975 and a device (10) arranged generally according to an embodiment of the present invention. The comparative images were taken on the same day from the same patient.

Figures 6 and 7 are images of irritated, mildly dysplastic junctional melanocytic nevi. The images, taken by a device (10) arranged generally according to an embodiment of the invention, show the location of hair entry and a more pronounced reticular structure.

Figures 8 and 9 are images of nodular basal cell carcinoma (BCC). In the images taken by an embodiment of the device (10) arranged generally according to one embodiment of the invention, more blood vessels beneath the skin surface can be identified, and different BCC structures can be seen more clearly.

Figures 10 and 11 are images of basal cell carcinoma. These images, taken by a device (10) arranged generally according to an embodiment of the invention, show clearer images of blood vessels and subcutaneous structures.

Other methods illustrating aspects of the principles described herein may also have other advantages/utilities. According to another aspect, a method for illuminating a skin site (18) during examination can broadly involve, at least in one exemplary embodiment, configuring a reflector device or module to have a reflective portion (34) configured to be operable for reflecting light received by the reflective portion. This exemplary embodiment may also involve configuring a light-emitting device or module (32) to be disposed between the reflector device or module and the skin site (18), and configuring the light-emitting device together with the reflector device or module such that a portion of the light emitted from the light-emitting device or module encounters or contacts the reflective portion (34). This exemplary embodiment may also involve configuring the reflective portion (34) of the reflector device or module such that encountering or contact between a portion of the light emitted from the light-emitting device or module (32) and the reflective portion is operable to facilitate scattering or diffusion of light reflected from the reflective portion to be projected onto the skin site (18), for increasing the variability or inconsistency of the incident incident scattered/diffused light received throughout the skin site.

On the other hand, imaging methods for devices (10) capable of operating to examine skin sites (18) may have other advantages/practicability. In one such example, the associated device (10) may be arranged to operate with: an illumination device or module (30) arranged to operate to illuminate the skin site (18); and an imaging device or module (40) operably associated with a lens (40a) through which the imaging device or module (40) receives light. The illumination device or module (30) is operable to illuminate the skin site (18) such that light is reflected from the skin site to the imaging device or module (40) along a reflected light path (27). In summary, in one embodiment, the associated imaging method may involve configuring another lens (60) operable to alter the optical path received by the other lens, thereby enabling it to operate or cooperate with the lens (40a) of the imaging device or module (40) such that the reflected optical path (27) undergoes a change for substantially correcting one or more optical distortion effects before reaching the imaging device or module (40). Such an exemplary embodiment may also involve arranging the other lens (60) along the reflected optical path (27) between the skin portion (18) and the lens (40a) of the imaging device or module (40). This exemplary embodiment may also involve illuminating the skin portion (18) through an illumination device or module (30) such that light is reflected (27) from the skin portion (18) toward the imaging device or module (40) along the reflected optical path (27).

Modifications and variations that are obvious to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of this invention.

Claims (46)

1. A lighting device for use with a device capable of operating an examination site on a skin area, the lighting device comprising: A reflector device or module having a reflective portion configured to operate for reflecting light received by the reflective portion; and A light-emitting device or module is disposed between the reflector device or module and the skin region, and the light-emitting device or module is arranged to operate with the reflector device or module such that a portion of light emitted from the light-emitting device or module encounters or contacts the reflective portion of the reflector device or module, the encounter or contact being configured to operate to promote the scattering or diffusion of light reflected from the reflective portion of the reflector device or module to be projected onto the skin region, for the purpose of increasing the variability or inconsistency of the incident incident scattered/diffused light received throughout the skin region. 2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein an increase in the variability or inconsistency of the incident incident reflected scattered/diffused light received throughout the skin area serves to promote the distribution or dispersion of light received on the subsurface of the skin area. 3. The lighting device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the encounter or contact between the portion of light emitted from the light-emitting device and the reflective portion of the reflector device or module is configured to facilitate scattering or dispersion/diffusion of the received light intended to be projected onto the skin area, so as to promote a generally uniform or uniform distribution of light receivable throughout the skin area. 4. The lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reflective portion of the reflector device or module is configured to diffuse/disperse or scatter light received from the light-emitting device or module. 5. The lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a second portion of light is emitted from the light-emitting device or module, the second portion of light being received by the skin area without encountering or contacting the reflective portion of the reflector device or module. 6. The lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reflector device or module includes a body having a profile similar to or substantially similar to that of a planar disk or a planar annular disk. 7. The lighting device of claim 6, wherein the reflective portion is supported by one side of the body of the reflector device or module, the side being arranged to generally face the skin portion and be generally parallel to the skin portion. 8. The lighting device according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the body of the reflector device or module is oriented to align with the side of the body that carries the reflective portion, such that the body is substantially perpendicularly aligned with the optical axis of the lighting device, and light is radiated toward and reflected from the skin portion relative to the optical axis of the lighting device. 9. The lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a portion of the reflective portion comprises or is configured with any one of the following: a metallic material, a reflective surface, a mirror or reflective mesh, a surface profile of generally non-uniform or non-uniform shape, a surface profile comprising a pattern (regular or otherwise) of raised or protruding or convex structures, a metallic material comprising a regular grid of raised or ridged structures, or a coating providing a texture comprising any of the above features. 10. The lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims when it is dependent on claim 6, wherein the light-emitting device or module comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements positioned at or near the periphery of the body of the reflector device or module. 11. The lighting device according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged equidistantly from each other. 12. The lighting device according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein one or more of the plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged to emit or radiate a first portion of light toward the reflective portion carried by the body of the reflector device or module. 13. The lighting device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein one or more of the plurality of light-emitting elements are configured to have a light emission or dispersion range of about 120 degrees. 14. The lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims when it is dependent on claim 6, wherein the body of the reflector device or module includes an aperture arranged substantially concentric with the periphery of the body, through which light reflected from the skin portion is transmitted to any one of an imaging device or module, a distortion correction lens, a liquid lens type lens, and/or the light reflected from the skin portion has been transmitted through any one of a distortion correction lens and a polarizing filter. 15. The lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims when it is dependent on claim 10, wherein the plurality of light-emitting elements comprises a first group of light-emitting elements and a second group of light-emitting elements, each of the first group of light-emitting elements and the second group of light-emitting elements being configured to be controllable by a corresponding controller module, wherein any one of the plurality of light-emitting elements is configured to be operable such that one or more characteristics of the light emitted from the relevant light-emitting element are adjustable or controllable. 16. The lighting device according to claim 15 when dependent on claim 6, wherein the light-emitting elements of the first group of light-emitting elements and the second group of light-emitting elements are arranged in an alternating or staggered manner around or near the periphery of the body of the reflector device or module. 17. The lighting device according to any one of claims 15 or 16, wherein the operation of any one of the first group of light-emitting elements and the second group of light-emitting elements corresponds to a corresponding operating mode of the lighting device. 18. The lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lighting device operates in a housing, and one or more portions of the inner surface of the housing are configured to reflect scattered or diffused/dispersed light received from the reflector device or module for projection onto the skin area. 19. The lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims when it is dependent on claim 6, wherein the body of the reflector device or module is provided in the form of a printed circuit board, and/or any of the light-emitting elements is attached to or electrically connected to the printed circuit board for operation. 20. An optical device for use with a device operable for examining a skin area, the device having an illumination device or module for illuminating the skin area and an imaging device or module, or the device being arranged to operate with the illumination device or module for illuminating the skin area and the imaging device or module, the optical device comprising: A liquid lens type lens, wherein the liquid lens type lens is arranged to be operatively associated with the imaging device or module; and Distortion correction lens, The optical device is configured to operate such that, when illuminated by the illumination device or module, light is reflected along a reflected light path from the skin area toward the imaging device or module; and The distortion correction lens is arranged along the reflected light path between the skin area and the liquid lens. 21. The optical device of claim 20, further comprising a first polarizer arranged along the radiation optical path between the illumination device or module and the skin portion. 22. The optical device according to claim 20 or claim 21, further comprising a second polarizer disposed along the reflected optical path between the skin portion and the imaging device or module. 23. The optical device according to claim 22, wherein the second polarizer is arranged along the reflected optical path between the distortion correction lens and the imaging device or module. 24. The optical device according to claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the second polarizer polarizes light in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the first polarizer polarizes light. 25. The optical device according to any one of claims 20 to 24, wherein the lighting device or module comprises the lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 19. 26. A device for examining a skin area, comprising: case; A lighting device or module, wherein the lighting device or module is arranged within the housing; An imaging device or module, wherein the imaging device or module is disposed within the housing; A liquid lens type lens, the lens being arranged in a manner operablely associated with the imaging device or module; and Distortion correction lens, In use, the device is configured to be operable such that: (i) Radiating light through the lighting device or module to project it onto the skin area along the radiating light path; and (ii) Light is reflected from the skin area toward the imaging device or module along the reflected light path; The distortion correction lens is arranged along the reflected light path between the skin area and the liquid lens. 27. The device according to any one of claims 26, wherein the device further comprises a first polarizer disposed along the radiation optical path between the lighting device or module and the skin portion. 28. The device according to claim 26 or claim 27, wherein the device further comprises a second polarizer disposed along the reflected optical path between the skin portion and the imaging device or module. 29. The device of claim 28, wherein the second polarizer is arranged along the reflected optical path between the distortion correction lens and the imaging device or module. 30. The device according to any one of claims 26 to 29, wherein the second polarizer polarizes light in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the first polarizer polarizes light. 31. The device according to any one of claims 26 to 30, wherein a portion of the housing has an optical axis, and the radiating optical path and the reflecting optical path operate relative to the optical axis. 32. The device according to any one of claims 26 to 31, wherein the first polarizer is configured with one or more apertures, the one or more apertures being configured to allow a portion of the radiating optical path to pass through therethrough. 33. The device according to any one of claims 26 to 32, wherein: (i) the lighting device or module, and/or (ii) the imaging device or module, and/or (iii) the first polarizer and/or the second polarizer, All of them are arranged to be substantially concentric with the optical axis. 34. The device according to any one of claims 26 to 33 when dependent on claim 31, wherein the lighting device or module includes a body having a profile similar to a flat annular disk or planar annular disk oriented substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the device. 35. The device according to any one of claims 26 to 34, wherein the surface of the lighting device or module facing the portion of the skin area is reflective. 36. The device according to any one of claims 26 to 35, wherein the lighting device or module has a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged around or near the periphery of the body of the lighting device or module. 37. The device according to claim 36, wherein the light-emitting elements are arranged at equal intervals. 38. The device according to claim 36 or claim 37, wherein the light-emitting element is oriented to emit light onto a reflective surface portion of the lighting device or module. 39. The device according to any one of claims 36 to 38, wherein any of the light-emitting elements is configured to have a dispersion angle of about 120° on a plane substantially perpendicular to or relative to the reflective surface portion of the lighting device or module. 40. The device according to any one of claims 26 to 39 when dependent on claim 31, wherein the reflected light path traverses the optical axis and passes through the center of the lighting device or module. 41. The device according to any one of claims 35 to 40, wherein the reflective surface portion of the lighting device or module is configured to be substantially non-uniform or have inconsistent properties to diffuse/disperde or scatter light received from the light-emitting element of the lighting device or module away from the reflective surface portion. 42. The device according to any one of claims 35 to 41, wherein the reflective surface portion of the lighting device or module is configured to have a generally regular pattern consisting of raised, protruding, or convex portions, the pattern presenting the general shape of the reflective surface portion in a generally non-uniform or inconsistent manner. 43. The device according to any one of claims 26 to 42, wherein the inner surface of the housing adjacent to the skin portion is reflective. 44. The device according to any one of claims 26 or 43, wherein the lighting device or module comprises (i) a lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 19, and/or (ii) an optical device according to any one of claims 20 to 25. 45. A method for illuminating a skin area during an examination of the skin area, the method comprising: A reflector device or module is configured to have a reflective portion, the reflective portion being configured to operate for reflecting light received by the reflective portion; The light-emitting device or module is configured to operate between the reflector device or module and the skin area; The light-emitting device and the reflector device or module are configured such that a portion of the light emitted from the light-emitting device or module encounters or comes into contact with the reflective portion; and The reflector portion of the reflector device or module is configured such that encounter or contact between a portion of light emitted from the light-emitting device or module and the reflector portion is operable to promote the scattering or diffusion of light reflected from the reflector portion to be projected onto the skin portion, thereby increasing the variability or inconsistency of the incident incident scattered/diffuse light received throughout the skin portion. 46. An imaging method for operating a device for examining skin sites, the device having or being arranged to operate with the following devices or modules: Lighting device or module, said lighting device or module being arranged to be operable for illuminating said skin area; and An imaging device or module, wherein the imaging device or module is operably associated with a lens, the imaging device or module receiving light through the lens, and the illumination device or module being operable to illuminate the skin area, such that light is reflected from the skin area toward the imaging device or module along a reflected light path; The imaging method includes: Another lens is configured to be operable to alter the optical path received by the other lens, thereby enabling it to operate together with or in conjunction with the lens of the imaging device or module, such that the reflected optical path undergoes a change for substantially correcting one or more optical distortion effects before reaching the imaging device or module. The other lens is arranged along the reflected light path between the skin area and the lens of the imaging device or module; and The skin area is illuminated by the lighting device or module, so that light is reflected from the skin area toward the imaging device or module along the reflected light path.