Systems, methods, and devices for assessing microbiota of skin

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for assessing microbiota of skin are described which include: a skin-covering material with an inner surface conforming in shape to a topography of a skin surface and including a plurality of specific microbe-binding elements; an image capture device to capture an image of the inner surface of the skin-covering material and to transform the image into a digital output including information associated with at least one property and a spatial distribution of at least one type of microbe bound to the specific microbe-binding elements; and a computing device including circuitry configured to receive the digital output from the image-capture device, compare the at least one property of the at least one type of microbe bound to the specific microbe-binding elements with a database of reference microbe properties, and generate a digital profile including the at least one property and the spatial distribution of the at least one type of microbe bound to the specific microbe-binding elements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a skin-covering material sized to cover at least a portion of an individual's face, the skin-covering material having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface substantially conforming in shape to a topography of a skin surface of the least a portion of the individual's face, the inner surface of the skin-covering material including a plurality of specific microbe-binding elements, wherein each of the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements is configured to specifically recognize and bind at least one type of microbe.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the skin-covering material includes a personalized skin-covering material sized to cover at least a portion of the individual's face, the personalized skin-covering material having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface of the personalized skin-covering material fabricated based on a specific topography of the individual's face to substantially conform in shape to contours of the skin surface of the at least a portion of the individual's face. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the skin-covering material is non-planar. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the skin-covering material is reusable. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the skin-covering material includes at least one registration mark to register the skin-covering material to at least one landmark on the skin surface of the at least a portion of the individual's face. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the skin-covering material includes one or more tearable lines of perforations. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the inner surface of the skin-covering material includes a medicament. 
     
     
         9 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the skin-covering material is semi-rigid. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the skin-covering material is rigid. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the skin-covering material is fabricated by a three-dimensional printer. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the skin-covering material is a peelable skin-covering material. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the peelable skin-covering material is fabricated from a settable material. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein the settable material includes at least one of latex, gel, polymer, plastic, or resin. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein the settable material is a liquid or a gel configured to undergo a phase change to a flexible solid in response to an applied stimulus. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the applied stimulus includes air. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the applied stimulus includes at least one of a thermal stimulus, or an electromagnetic stimulus. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements is configured to specifically recognize and bind at least one type of pathogenic microbe. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements is configured to specifically recognize and bind at least one type of mutualistic microbe or commensal microbe. 
     
     
         29 .- 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements are incorporated into the skin-covering material. 
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements are covalently attached to the inner surface of the skin-covering material. 
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements are non-covalently attached to the inner surface of the skin-covering material. 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements are included in a renewable layer on the inner surface of the skin-covering material. 
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements includes a specific microbe-binding antibody. 
     
     
         39 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements includes a specific microbe-binding aptamer. 
     
     
         40 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements includes a specific microbe-binding oligonucleotide. 
     
     
         41 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements includes a specific microbe-binding anti-16S rRNA. 
     
     
         42 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements includes a specific microbe-binding ligand. 
     
     
         43 . The device of  claim 42 , wherein the specific microbe-binding ligand includes at least one of a protein, peptide, lipid, carbohydrate, or oligonucleotide. 
     
     
         44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements includes a mimetic binding element. 
     
     
         46 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the skin-covering material includes a plurality of specific microbe-binding elements of a first type and a plurality of specific microbe-binding elements of a second type. 
     
     
         47 . The device of  claim 46 , wherein each of the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements of the first type is configured to specifically recognize and bind to at least one first type of microbe and each of the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements of the second type is configured to specifically recognize and bind to at least one second type of microbe. 
     
     
         48 .- 157 . (canceled) 
     
     
         158 . A system comprising:
 a skin-covering material sized to cover at least a portion of an individual's face, the skin-covering material having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface of the skin-covering material substantially conforming in shape to a topography of a skin surface of the at least a portion of the individual's face, the inner surface of the skin-covering material including a plurality of specific microbe-binding elements, wherein each of the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements is configured to specifically recognize and bind at least one type of microbe; and   an enhancing component configured to enhance binding of the at least one type of microbe to the at least one of the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements associated with the inner surface of the skin-covering material.   
     
     
         159 . The system of  claim 158 , wherein the enhancing component includes at least one of a thermal component, a vacuum component, a humidity component, or a pressure component. 
     
     
         160 . The system of  claim 158 , wherein the enhancing component includes a skin-softener, a detergent, or a lysing compound. 
     
     
         161 . A system comprising:
 a personalized skin-covering material sized to cover at least a portion of an individual's face, the personalized skin-covering material having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface of the personalized skin-covering material fabricated based on a specific topography of the individual's face to substantially conform in shape to contours of a skin surface of the at least a portion of the individual's face;   a plurality of specific microbe-binding elements in a form for application to the inner surface of the personalized skin-covering material, wherein each of the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements is configured to specifically recognize and bind at least one type of microbe; and   an enhancing component configured to enhance binding of the at least one type of microbe to at least one of the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements.   
     
     
         162 . The system of  claim 161 , wherein the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements is in a liquid, gel, or spray form for application to the inner surface of the personalized skin-covering material. 
     
     
         163 . A system comprising:
 a heat source or an electromagnetic energy source;   a plurality of specific microbe-binding elements, wherein each of the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements is configured to specifically recognize and bind at least one type of microbe; and   a settable material in a liquid or gelled phase and configured for application to a skin surface of an individual, the settable material in the liquid or the gelled phase configured to undergo a phase change to a solid phase in response to an applied stimulus from the heat source or the electromagnetic energy source.   
     
     
         164 . The system of  claim 163 , wherein the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements is incorporated into the settable material