Our most popular
DermaLab application modules are now introduced in a
new USB version featuring a and a selection of application interface modules
with probes.
The interface connects via a USB cable to a PC equipped with LabView based
application software. This software is provided free of charge with every
unit and the latest version may be downloaded from the download area on this WEB-site.
TEWL
Elasticity
Moisture flat faced
Moisture PIN
The
DermaLab USB main features include:
Fast response and high precision interchangeable TEWL
probes
with
no need for a protected measurement
environment, light
weight
suction
cup elasticity
probe
(no measurement
bias from
the
weight of
the probe), flat faced "conventional" conductance
probe design
and pin probe
design for very dry skin
and minimal
water accumulation under the probe surface.
A new A/D-converter features highly improved resolution and
precision, and any combination and number of application
interfaces may now be freely connected to the PC.
Sebum Module
TEWL (single ch)
TEWL (dual ch)
Moisture
Sebum
Elasticity
Sample screens showing
dedicated application software (click to enlarge).
DermaLab TEWL
measurement is based upon the vapor gradient (open chamber) principle,
which for many years has been considered the "gold standard". The open
chamber
design maintains the free natural evaporation from the surface without
interfering with the environment over the measurement area, thus
ensuring unbiased and accurate readings.
Inside the measurement head, the sensors are protected to eliminate
variation caused by air currents and direct incident light, which are problems
usually associated with the open chamber method.
Operation of the water loss module is fully menu driven and allows for
presetting the standard deviation and/or measurement time. Further, data may
be
taken into spreadsheets and the application software features
real-time
measurement display and sensor diagnostics all in one screen.
The DermaLab uses
a conductance measurement principle to measure the
water binding capacity of the stratum corneum.
For this, two probe designs are available - a flat faced probe with the
electrodes organized as concentric rings, and a pin probe featuring eight pin
electrodes.
The flat faced probe with its traditional electrode design is a popular choice
for
normal skin measurements, whereas the pin probe electrode design is ideal for
dry skin and scalp applications.
The moisture screen allows for setting the number of measurements and cycles for
each
measurement. Further, a sequence of up to five measurements can be named for
ease of operation.
In order to
ensure un-biased readings, the DermaLab features a light weight probe
which,
when glued to the skin using a double adhesive sticker, eliminates
movement
artifacts from holding the probe. With the probe in place, negative pressure
will
elevate the skin, and the differential neg. pressure needed to lift the skin a
predetermined
distance is used as input to calculate Young´s modulus. Two additional
parameters are presented to describe
the skin elasticity: the retraction time (R) and the viscoelasticity (VE), a
parameter combining
both the elevation and retraction phase in one number.
The unit allows for adjusting the airflow according to the measurement site and actual skin condition.
Sebum is
collected by the use of our sebum collecting strip, which
has been specifically developed for instrumental reading. The absorbing film
material
will allow skin oils to penetrate, thereby making the film transparent, however,
surface water will leave the film unchanged.
The Dermalab USB Sebum module provides a Tape Reader
and very user-friendly operation.
Sebum
excretion rate The scientific approach for most objective measurements.
Relatively low sebum readings can be expected due to the time factor:
1) Remove all makeup and de-lipidize the actual skin area (e.g. alcohol wash).
2)Wait one hour before applying the tape.
This method provides information about the sebum excretion rate, and it is
well suited for laboratory
use on panelists within a controlled environment and a standardized experiment
setup.
The preferred instrument is the DermaLab® Tape Reader due to its superior
resolution and sensitivity.
Sebum level The instant sebum check with no preconditioning of the skin. The tape is
simply
applied to the skin “as is” providing a reading of the actual sebum level,
but not the sebum excretion rate.
This method is ideal in “point of sales” applications as a quick and
objective sebum level check.
The preferred instrument is the handheld TapeAnalyzer
due to its simplicity yet high accuracy.
