Apparatus and methods for modifying keratinous surfaces

Abstract

A device for analyzing and treating tonal imperfections on human skin. The device, or apparatus has an applicator comprising a head and one or more nozzles, preferably the nozzles are arranged in an array. The apparatus further has a reservoir comprising a skin treatment composition, a sensor, and a CPU. The sensor takes an image of at least 10 μm2 of skin. The CPU analyzes the image to calculate a localized L value of individual pixels or group of pixels. The CPU then compares the local L value to a background L value to identify one or more skin deviations, and wherein the sensor is in wireless communication with the CPU, and wherein the CPU is adjacent the sensor or is remotely located. Further, the sensor may be enclosed within an apparatus handle and the CPU is either within the handle or external to the handle. In another embodiment of this invention, there are two or more CPUs and the sensor can be in wireless communication with none, one or more than one CPU.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A deposition system for treating human skin comprising:
 a. an applicator comprising a head and one or more nozzles and a reservoir comprising a skin treatment composition;   c. a sensor;   d. a CPU;   wherein the sensor takes the image of at least 10 μm 2  of skin, wherein the CPU analyzes the image to identify one or more skin deviations, and wherein the sensor and/or the CPU is remote from and in wireless communication with the applicator.   
     
     
         2 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , the CPU analysis instructs the nozzles to selectively deposit on the skin deviations. 
     
     
         3 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the CPU calculates a localized L value of individual pixels or group of pixels in the image; the CPU then compares the local L value to a background L value, calculating the absolute value of the difference between the local lightness value and the background lightness value (ΔL). 
     
     
         4 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the CPU is adjacent the sensor and both are remote from and in wireless communication with the applicator. 
     
     
         5 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the CPU is remote from and in wireless communication with the applicator. 
     
     
         6 . The deposition system of  claim 3 , wherein the CPU monitors the location of the applicator to identify when the applicator is directly over a skin deviation. 
     
     
         7 . The deposition system of  claim 4 , wherein the CPU monitors the location of the applicator to identify when the applicator is directly over a skin deviation. 
     
     
         8 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the deposition system measures a speed or a rate of change of the speed of the applicator. 
     
     
         9 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the starting location of the applicator is known. 
     
     
         10 . The deposition system of  claim 8 , wherein the applicator moves at a speed controlled by the CPU. 
     
     
         11 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is remote and located in a cellular phone, a tablet computing device, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a heads-up display capable of projecting an image, and/or in a visual display unit. 
     
     
         12 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications occurs via a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), Near Field Communication technology (NFC), Radio Frequency Identification communication technology (RFID), a piconet computer network, Bluetooth technology, and combinations of these. 
     
     
         13 . The deposition system of  claim 10 , wherein the wireless communication between the apparatus and the sensor is in further communication with the internet, a cloud-based computing environment, a private server, a public server, a display, or combinations of these. 
     
     
         14 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a camera capable of taking continuous images at a rate of at least 4 frames per second. 
     
     
         15 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the applicator is a thermal inkjet or piezoelectric printer and cartridge assembly, wherein the cartridge assembly comprises a foam core, solid wax, bladder core, a membrane and combinations of these. 
     
     
         16 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the applicator further comprises one or more of an illumination source, a memory unit, or an energy source. 
     
     
         17 . The deposition system of  claim 3 , wherein the background lightness is preselected by a user of the system, calculated from one or more images taken of the skin during a treatment cycle, or calculated for each image taken from pixels within each image taken. 
     
     
         18 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the applicator comprises a thermal inkjet printer cartridge. 
     
     
         19 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the treatment composition comprises particles and have a particle settling rate of less than 0.03 mm per day at 25° C. and 1 atm pressure. 
     
     
         20 . The deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the treatment composition comprises particles which have a refractive index of between about 1.1 and about 5.0.