Artificial skin and method for evaluating UV screening agent by use of the same

Abstract

Artificial skin having a thickness of 100 to 1,000 μm, and prepared from a polymer which, when formed into a thin film having a thickness of 100-1,000 μm, exhibits a percent transmission of light having a wavelength of 450-280 nm of at least 10%. In the artificial skin of the present invention, grooves which imitate furrows are provided on one surface. Also disclosed is a method for evaluating UV screening agents making use of the artificial skin of the present invention, on the basis of the relation between UV shielding power of a UV screening agent and UV transmission through the artificial skin.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . Artificial skin having a thickness of 100 to 1,000 μm, which is prepared from a polymer which, when formed into a thin film having a thickness of 100-1,000 μm, exhibits a percent transmission of light having a wavelength of 450-280 nm of at least 10%, wherein grooves which imitate furrows are provided on one surface of the artificial skin.  
     
     
         2 . The artificial skin according to  claim 1 , wherein the polymer is nylon.  
     
     
         3 . The artificial skin according to  claim 2 , wherein the nylon is nylon-6.  
     
     
         4 . The artificial skin according to  claim 1 , wherein the grooves which imitate furrows have the following features: 
 1) the cross section of each groove cut along the short side has a V shape;    2) the apex angle of the V shape is 60-150°;    3) the depth of each groove is 30-100 μm;    4) the width of each groove is 50-300 μm;    5) the frequency of grooves that cross a unit length along or perpendicular to the length is 0.5-2.0 grooves/mm; and    6) the frequency of grooves that obliquely cross a unit length is 0.5-2.0 grooves/mm.    
     
     
         5 . The artificial skin according to  claim 1 , which has micro-irregularities on areas other than the furrow-imitating groove portions in the surface.  
     
     
         6 . The artificial skin according to  claim 5 , wherein the micro-irregularities are those formed through blasting.  
     
     
         7 . Artificial skin comprising a thin film of a polymer, the thin film having a thickness of 100-1,000 μm and exhibiting a percent transmission of light having a wavelength of 450-280 nm of at least 10%, and grooves which imitate furrows on one surface of the film.  
     
     
         8 . A method for evaluating a UV screening agent on the basis of the relation between UV shielding power of the UV screening agent and UV transmission through the artificial skin as recited in  claim 1  after the artificial skin has been coated with the UV screening agent on the side having furrow-imitating grooves.