DEVICE COMPRISING MICRONEEDLES FOR SKIN-COLORING

Abstract

A device for delivering to the skin, scalp, or lips a skin-coloring cosmetic composition, in particular for correcting a skin color disorder or performing a permanent or long-lasting make-up that includes a base carrying a plurality of resorbable microneedles for delivering the composition. The device being having a length (L.sub.n) of each microneedle (3) that is less than or equal to 50 mm, and the microneedles include a skin-coloring cosmetic composition.

Claims

1. A device for delivering to the skin, scalp, or lips a skin-coloring cosmetic composition for correcting a skin color disorder or performing a permanent or long-lasting make-up, comprising a base carrying a plurality of resorbable microneedles for delivering the composition, the device a length of each microneedle that is less than or equal to 50 mm, and the microneedles comprise a skin-coloring cosmetic composition.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the microneedles are hollow.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the microneedles are solid.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the microneedles are made in a porous material.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein each microneedle has an internal volume for containing the composition to deliver to the skin less than or equal to 10 mm.sup.3.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the microneedles are configured to deliver the composition at a flow rate less than or equal to 3 cm.sup.3/min.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein a length of each microneedle is less than or equal to 20 mm.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein each microneedle comprises a stop configured for limiting the depth of injection of the microneedle into the skin to less than or equal to 500 micrometers.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein an external largest transverse dimension of each microneedle is less than or equal to 1500 micrometers.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein an internal largest transverse dimension of each microneedle is less than or equal to 1000 micrometers.

11. A system comprising the device according to claim 1 and at least one skin-coloring cosmetic composition to be injected for correcting a skin color disorder or performing a permanent or long-lasting make-up.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one skin-coloring cosmtic composition comprises solid particles.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one skin-coloring cosmetic composition comprises an aqueous phase and at least one pigment chosen from organic or mineral pigments.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one skin-coloring cosmetic composition is a lipo-soluble or hydro-soluble coloring agent.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one skin-coloring cosmetic composition is a liquid composition comprising high refraction index particles, interference particles, reflection particles, light absorbent particles, non-transparent particles or particles modifying the path of light, in order to revent reflection.

16. A kit comprising a device as defined in claim 1 and one or several skin-coloring cosmetic compositions for correcting a skin color disorder or performing a permanent or long-lasting make-up.

17. A method for preparing an injection of a skin-coloring cosmetic composition, into an area of skin, scalp, or lips, the injection being performed with the device as defined in claim 1, the method comprising: identifying a zone where the color of the skin, scalp, or lips is to be modified, determining a desired color correction, and determining an injection to perform into said zone to obtain the desired change of color based on optical properties of the composition, and determining the quantity to be injected through each microneedle and relative localization in the area.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a color measurement of an area of skin, scalp, or lips comprising said zone is performed, the color measurement of the zone to be treated being compared to a beforehand performed color measurement of a healthy zone nearby to compute a difference value, and a desired color correction and the quantity to inject through each microneedle and their relative localization in the area being determined as a function of said difference value.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the injected composition is the same for each microneedle.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the injected composition is different for at least two microneedles of the device and/or for some zones of the area.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0114] The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of the disclosed subject matter will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0115] FIG. 1 shows a schematic embodiment of a microneedles device according to the invention; and

[0116] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating some steps of a method for preparing an injection of a skin-coloring cosmetic composition into an area of skin, according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0117] A device 1 according to the invention for delivering a skin-coloring cosmetic composition to the skin is shown in FIG. 1. In this example, such a device 1 comprises a base 2 carrying a plurality of hollow microneedles 3, each microneedle having an internal channel 3a running from their free ends to the base 2, presenting an internal volume for containing the composition to deliver to the skin up to 10 mm.sup.3.

[0118] The microneedles 3 are advantageously configured to deliver the composition at a flow rate less than or equal to 3 cm.sup.3/min.

[0119] The base 2 is for example a flexible substrate.

[0120] The length L.sub.n of each microneedle 3 is less than or equal to 50 mm, being for example equal to 0.7 mm The microneedle length is advantageously adjusted to target beyond the SC barrier and/or epidermis.

[0121] The external largest transverse dimension D, of a microneedle 3, visible in FIG. 1, is for example less than or equal to 1500 micrometers.

[0122] Preferably, the microneedles 3 are of pyramidal shape with an octagonal base, and are oriented perpendicular to a substantially planar surface along which the base extends.

[0123] The microneedles 3 are made of an inorganic material, for example silicon, or of an organic material, for example a polymer.

[0124] The microneedles 3 are resorbable in the illustrated example.

[0125] The device according to the invention may comprise a vibrating system, not shown, for inducing vibrations into the microneedles 3. In a variant, a pre-solution is applied beforehand on the skin to weaken the microneedles 3 and allow their removal after delivery of the composition, especially a saline solution.

[0126] Preferably and as in the considered example, the composition comprises an aqueous phase and at least one pigment, especially chosen from organic or mineral pigments.

[0127] In a variant, the composition is a lipo-soluble or hydro-soluble coloring agent.

[0128] In another variant, as previously described, the composition is a liquid composition comprising high refraction index particles, interference particles, reflection particles, light absorbent particles, in particular non-transparent particles or particles modifying the path of light, in order to prevent reflection.

[0129] Some exemplary steps of a method, according to the invention, for preparing an injection of a skin-coloring cosmetic composition into an area of skin, scalp, or lips, using the microneedles device 1, are now going to be described in reference with FIG. 2.

[0130] As previously defined, in a step 11, a color measurement of an area of skin, scalp, or lips is performed. In this example, a colorimeter is used, for example a Chroma Meter from Konica Minolta.

[0131] A zone of the area where the color of the skin, scalp, or lips is to be modified is then identified in a step 12.

[0132] In a step 13, a desired color correction is determined, and an injection to perform into said zone to obtain the desired change of color based on optical properties of the composition, and the quantity injected through each microneedle and their relative localization in the area are determined in a step 14. The color measurement of the zone to be modified is preferably compared to a beforehand performed color measurement of a healthy zone nearby to obtain a difference value ΔE. The desired color correction and the quantity to inject through each microneedle and their relative localization in the area are then determined as a function of said difference value ΔE.

[0133] The composition is then delivered into the area for modifying its color, in a step 15. In this example, the microneedles 3 are pre-filled with the composition before application of the base 2 on the area of the skin. The depth of injection of the microneedles 3 into the skin is preferably less than or equal to 500 micrometers.

[0134] As previously defined, the device 1 may be connected by wireless communication to an electronic system, not shown, in particular a personal computer or a smartphone, for injection control, or comprises an electronic system. Such electronic system is in particular arranged for controlling the injection of a predefined quantity of composition into the microneedles 3, by performing at least some of the previously-described method steps. An application, in particular running on a smartphone, may be used for delivery control and user interface.

EXAMPLE 1

[0135] In a first example, a liquid skin color-changing composition is delivered, by using a device 1 according to the invention, on dark circles under the eyes. The composition is an under-eye corrector, comprising pigments, for example the composition Biochromaeyes® from BIOTEC PHOCEA.

[0136] The dark circles are covered by the composition in a satisfying manner.

EXAMPLE 2

[0137] In a second example, a liquid skin color-changing composition is delivered, by using a device 1 according to the invention, on areas of the face affected by vitiligo. The composition comprises, in this example, a suspension of different pigments and/or coloring particles to match the proper targeted skin color, with the objective to treat the vitiligo sites to obtain the same color as the non-vitiligo sites. The composition may be the composition “Rosy corrector”, in the shade chocolate brown, from the Biochromaderm® compositions from BIOTEC PHOCEA.

[0138] The results are satisfactory, the appearance of areas around the mouth for example is enhanced and the effects of the treatment are quickly visible.

[0139] The container may comprise several rooms; each room being able to contain a different composition. The different rooms may be connected together. The container may be a syringe.

[0140] While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter.