Objective Measurement Device for Melanin Optical Density: Dosimetry for Laser and IPLs in Aesthetic Treatments

Background: Intense pulsed light (IPL) and laser treatment parameters should be high enough to sufficiently damage target lesions while minimizing collateral damage to surrounding tissue. Fitzpatrick Skin Typing, a common assessment tool for these treatments, does not directly account for the density of melanin, a highly absorbing chromophore typically located in the epidermis. Quantification of skin melanin levels requires accurate accounting of optical scattering in the skin, the influence of environmental factors and measurement artifacts, as well as the interference of other cutaneous chromophores. The Skintel Melanin Reader measures skin diffuse reflectance at three discrete wavelengths to estimate a Melanin Index value, a normalized parameter for epidermal melanin content, using an algorithm based on validated Monte Carlo simulations.