2001 Volume 9 Issue 2 Pages 79-85
Examination of skin color is very important in the clinical diagnosis and cosmetic evaluation. However, visual evaluation is subjective, and objective quantification of skin color may therefore be a valuable supplement to the clinical evaluation. In this paper the design and performance of an instrument for quantifying cutaneous color are discussed. The imaging colorimeter consists of an optical unit equipped with video camera, an image processing unit, and a microcomputer. Combining colorimetry and imaging methods, the acquired image is calibrated and corrected, under several ambient light conditions, providing non-contact reproducible color measurements, free of the errors and the limitations present in conventional colorimeters. The imaging colorimeter appears to be a simple and accurate device for objectively measuring skin color. These features highlight the potential of imaging colorimeters as clinical and research tools for the standardization of clinical diagnosis and for the objective evaluation of treatment effectiveness.
