Development of Image Processing
for Digital Dermatoscopy
Suprijanto(*), Dyah Ayu(*), Vebi Nadhira(*), Sasanti T. Darijanto(**)
(*)
Instrumentation and Control Research Group, Faculty of Industrial Technology
(**)
Farmasetika Research Group, School of Pharmacy
Institute Technology of Bandung Ganesha 10 40132 Bandung Indonesia
email : supri@tf.itb.ac.id
Abstract- Treatment and preservation of skin using a skin care
product, recently is become one of the human demand. The
cosmetic industry offers a wide variety of skin care products.
The most common indirect technique used for investigating
human skin's topography is based the silicone-skin replica. The
other alternative to measurement of the skin topography using
direct technique could be done using digital dermatoscopy and
digital image processing techniques. The paper reported current
status of our research on image processing for digital
dermatoscopy. Using our proposed image processing, the
visibility of 3D view of skin topography can be improved.
Furthermore, the texture description based on Fourier
transform and entropy was promising as an objective value for
skin roughness analysis.
Keyword: skin topography, dermatoscopy, direct skin imaging
I. INTRODUCTION
Due to increasing environmental influences on the human
skin, treatment and preservation of skin health using cosmetic
is become one of the human demand. Several cosmetic
industries offer a wide variety of skin care products.[1,2,3,4]
Considering quality management, the promised effects of the
products must be evaluated. On conventional method, efficacy
effect of skin care products may be done by the skin expert,
therefore the evaluation results is often influenced by the
subjectivity factor. To obtain objective results, a skin imaging
is required in order to measure and analysis of human skin
surface.
Scientific research on measurement and analysis of the
surface of human skin has been done for more than 25 years.
The most common technique used for investigating human
skin's topography is based on a measurement of a negative
imprint of human skin micro-topography, made of fast
hardening silicon mass or often called the skin replica-
silicon[3]. The optical device such as optical profilometry or
transmition profilometery is used to evaluation of skin
topography based on skin replica. Using its technique, the
direct and in-situ measurement of the skin topography is not
possible to be done. The other alternative to measurement of
the skin topography using in vivo way could be done using
digital dermatoscopy and digital image processing
techniques[6].
The paper reported a current status of our research on the
new digital dermatoscopy for measurement of skin topography.
using indirect method on skin replica and direct method on
human skin surface. The image processing steps that required
for skin analyzer are also discussed in the paper.
II. METHODS
A. Human Skin Surface
The human skin is responsible for many vital functions. It
protects our internal body from the environment [6]. The main
layer of human skin was shown in Figure 1. The top layer of
epidermis is known as stratum corneum.
Figure 1. The main layer of human skin
.
The structure of the stratum corneum could be described as a
"brick and mortar" type structure. In this analogy, the
corneocytes are the bricks. A corneocyte is a protein complex
that is made of tiny threads of keratin in an organized matrix.
The keratin can hold large amounts of water between the
fibers/threads. The stratum corneum is contains about 12-16
layers of corneocytes and each corneocyte has a mean
thickness of 1 micrometer, depending on age, anatomical
location and exposure to UV radiation. The pattern of
corneocytes distribution will related with texture of the skin
surface. The skin surface is intersected by primary and
secondary lines like a topographical map with plateaus and
valleys. The quantitative analysis of skin topography is
frequently used in skin analyzer. Various techniques have been
development for skin imaging and in particular micro-
topography can be separated into optical, mechanical dan laser.
On the further section, overview about optical skin surface
imaging will be given.

B. Optical Skin Surface Imaging Techniques
Micro-skin topography can be imaged using digital
dermatoscopy. Basically, digital dermatoscopy is consists of
optical lens system in order to magnify profile of skin surface,
CCD sensor to convert analog image to digital image and
finally interface to computer[5,6].
In the common technique, skin surface topography is measured
based on a negative imprint of human skin topography via
hardening silicon mass or often called silicone replica. Based
on silicon replica, the optical skin imaging was used to
acquired on digital images, where the intensity distribution
based on the detection of reflected light which is dependent on
the depths and the angles of the wrinkles. The block diagrams
this technique shown in Figure 2. The skin analyzer was done
based on the digital image that is imaged form the silicon-skin
replica.
Figure 2 Skin imaging based on silicone replica using optical
skin imaging. (1) Mixed silicon drop on the skin surface that
bounded using the plastic ring (2) The silicon-skin replica that
located in the special carrier (3) skin replica imaged using
digital dermatoscopy to obtain (4) the digital image.
The drawback of optical skin imaging based on silicon replica
is the direct and in-situ skin imaging not possible to be done.
Figuire 3. The direct and in-situ skin imaging using
optical skin imaging. (1) Digital dermatoscopy and (2)
obtained digital skin image that represent the micro-skin
topography
The other alternative for the direct and in-situ skin imaging
could be done using the digital dermatoscopy with build-in
luminance system. Using this system, micro-topography of
skin surface can be represented on the digital image. The value
of intensity value of the image is function of reflected light on
the topography of skin surface. The block diagrams of the
direct technique of skin imaging shown in Figure 3 . Based on
the digital skin images, the skin roughness was determined
using texture analysis of the digital skin images.
C. Image Processing
C1. Digital skin images
A digital image a[m,n] described in a 2D discrete space is
derived from an analog image a(x,y) in a 2D continuous space
through a sampling process that is frequently referred to as
digitization. In the skin images, the value of a(x,y) is related
with the detection of reflected light which is dependent on the
depths and the angles of the topography of skin surface.
Converting from a continuous image a(x,y) to its digital
representation a[m,n] requires the process of sampling. In the
ideal sampling system a(x,y) is multiplied by an ideal 2D
impulse train[6,7]:
+∞ +∞
a[ m, n] = a ( x, y ) • ∑ ∑ δ ( x − mX
i = −∞ n = −∞
o , y − nYo )
+∞ +∞
= ∑ ∑ a(mX
i = −∞ n = −∞
o , nYo )δ ( x − mX o , y − nYo )
(1)
Where Xo and Yo are the sampling distances or intervals and
δ(•,•) is the ideal impulse function. Square sampling implies
that Xo = Yo.
C2. Smoothing Filter
The contrast on the digital skin imaging is function of reflected
light form the skin surface that like a topographical map with
plateaus and valleys. One source of noise is contribution from
Charge Couple Device (CCD) camera where photons produce
electrons that are commonly referred to as photoelectrons. The
source of noise on CCD is frequently limited by amplifier
noise, thermal noise that related with the chip temperature and
exposure time and photon noise which is limited by the photon
production rate and the exposure time[5.7].
We assume that the profile of skin topographic is change
slowly; therefore the high frequency signal as noise in the skin
image must be filtered. Before texture analysis was performed,
smoothing filter is required. The basic principle of smoothing
filter is convolution operation. The basic idea is that a
window of some finite size and shape—the support—is
scanned across the image. The output pixel value is the
weighted sum of the input pixels within the window where the
weights are the values of the filter assigned to every pixel of
the window itself. The window with its weights is called the
convolution kernel – h[j,k].
If h[j,k] is zero outside the window of size JxK centered around On the map of NFPm,n , the lowest spatial frequency was started
the origin {j=-Jo,-Jo+1,…..,-1,0,1,……….,Jo-1,Jo; k=-Ko,- on the center of map and increasing spatial frequency is
Ko+1,…..,-1,0,1,……….,Ko-1,Ko}, the convolution can be proportional to the radius relative to the center (see on Figure
written on the equation 2. 4).

Jo Ko
c[ m, n ] = a[ m, n] ⊗ h[ m, n] = ∑ ∑ h[ j, k ]a[m − j, n − k ]
j = − J o k =− Ko

(2)
Several algorithms of smoothing filter have been introduced
but we can distinguish between linear and non-linear
algorithms. The examples of linier filtering algorithms are
uniform or averaging filter and Gaussian filter. However, for
filtered skin imaging, the smoothing filters with characteristic (a) (b)
to perverse the edge of skin texture whilst suppressing the Figure 4. Digital skin image that acquired using
noise contamination was required. One of type non-linear filter direct method (a) and normalized Fourier coefficients NFP.
can be fulfill these characteristic is median filter.
For texture description, we used entropy that represent a
The median filter is based upon moving a window over an statistical measure of randomness NFPm,n that formulated on
image (as in a convolution) and computing the output pixel as Equation 6.
the median value of the brightnesses within the input window.
N M
If the window is J × K in size we can order the J•K pixels in h = ∑∑ NFPn ,m log( NFPn ,m ) (6)
brightness value from smallest to largest. If J•K is odd then the n −1 m =1
median will be the (J•K+1)/2 entry in the list of ordered
brightnesses. The notation h is represent an entropy value.

C3. Texture Analysis in the spatial frequency domain

III. MATERIALS AND EXPERIMENT DESIGN
Texture analysis is required to evaluate the roughness of micro-
topography. One of approach for texture analysis is to generate To evaluate image processing scheme that used for skin
the Fourier transform of the image and then to further analysis analyzer, two experiment setups were done, with procedure
of the transform data in some way so as to obtain a set of shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3. On the first setup, the silicon
measurements[1,7,9]. skin replica was made from the inner forearm. We used two
skin replicas, where the first and the second skin replica made
Basic principle of the Fourier transform (FT) is transforming from skin before and after 40 days anti wrinkle treatment. Two
the spatial domain to the frequency domain, with description in Digital images were collected from both skin replicas using a
equation 3. DYNOLAB DinoLite Snap AM-311ST. This instrument was
+∞ +∞
= F [a[ m, n]]
positioned close to the target area and illuminated directly
F (Ω m , Ψn ) = ∑ ∑ a[m, n]e
m = −∞ n = ∞
− j ( Ωm + Ψn ) (3)
through a part of lens. The luminous environment was uniform
as results of this system throughout all shooting sessions and
The notation F(Ωm,Ψn) is the FT of a[m,n], where Ω and Ψ are both images were obtained under the same conditions. Images
the coordinates in the inverse space of FT and a(m,n) is the collected at a magnification of x50 and download to a personal
image of micro topography. The function F(Ωm,Ψn) is complex computer via USB interface. The second setup, images were
function, therefore Equation 3 can be written as collected direct from the inner forearm of skin volunteer with
different ages. The imaging procedure was similar on the first
setup.
F (Ω n , Ψm ) = F (Ω n , Ψm ) e − jϕ ( Ωn ,Ψm ) (4)
Where the first part |F(Ωm,Ψn)| is the modulus while the second
part with the exponential e, is the phase. Next, before texture
description was done, the transform data can be normalized by
the sum of the squared values of each magnitude component
(excepting the zero-frequency components, those for m= 0 and
n = 0). Next, the magnitude data is invariant to linear shifts in
illumination to obtain normalized Fourier coefficients NFP as Figure 5. The processing steps of skin analyzer
F (Ω n , Ψm ) (5)
NFPn ,m =
All collected images have size 640x480 pixels. The feature of
∑ F (Ω n , Ψm )
2

( m≠ o ),( n ≠o )
skin analyzer was implemented in for 3D skin surface, surface
profile and the texture description of micro-topography. The
step of processing was shown in Figure 5.
IV. RESULTS
D. The first Setup
The filtered images of silicon skin replicas were shown in
Figure 6. The intersection lines on the images are represented
topography of skin surface. The 3D surface view of skin
topography of skin replica (Figure 6-a) was shown in Figure 7.
The effect of smoothing filter was significant increasing quality
of the topography map.
(a) (b)
Figure 6. Filtered image from silicon skin replica before (a)
and 40 days after anti wrinkle treatment (b)
(a) (b)
Figure 7. 3D surface view of skin topography of Figure 6-a.
without (a) and with (b) smoothing filter
To determine texture description, Fourier transform was done
on both skin replica images. The magnitude of Fourier
transform of both image shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8. The magnitude of Fourier transform from image of
silicon skin replica before (a) and 40 days after anti wrinkle
treatment (b)
The value of entropy was calculated of both images showed
that from images before and after treatment have h= 4.3389
and h= 3.0339, successively. The results were also showed that
the effect of anti wrinkle treatment will be reducing roughness
on the skin surface.
D. The Second Setup
The filtered images of the inner forearm of skin volunteer with
age 12 year and 40 year shown in Figure 9. The different of
profile of skin topography form both image samples was
shown in Figure 10 (blue line related with age 12 year and red
line related with age 40 year). We can saw that the change of
minimum and maximum profile is bigger on oldest skin.
Figure 9. The filtered skin image of the inner forearm from
female 12 year (a) and male 40 year (b)
Figure 10. profile of skin topography (blue line related with
age 12 year and red line related with age 40 year)
Texture descriptions from both images were done using Fourier
transform. The magnitude of Fourier transform of both image
shown in Figure 11.
(a) (b)
Figure 10. The magnitude of Fourier transform from image of
the inner forearm (a) and female with age 12 year and male
with age 40 year (b)
The pattern of Fourier transform tends to more symmetry on
the youngest skin. The value of entropy was calculated of
young skin; h= 1.2027 and older skin; h= 1.4171. The results
were also showed that with increasing roughness as age
function, will increase the entropy value. The result was
fulfilling with the skin roughness based on subjective criterion.
 V. CONCLUTIONS

The paper demonstrated the current status of the research on

the new digital dermatoscopy for measurement of skin
topography using indirect method on skin replica and direct
method on human skin surface. We must note that indirect
method is like “gold standard” for analysis of skin topography
in Indonesia cosmetic industry. Using our proposed techniques,
the direct imaging on human skin surface is one of alternative
to rapid skin analyzer. Integrating between procedures acquired
skin image and image processing steps, the visibility of 3D
view of skin topography can be improved. Furthermore, the
texture description based on Fourier transform and entropy was
promising as a objective value for skin roughness analysis. The
entropy value was decrease for skin under anti wrinkle
treatment. We also demonstrated that increasing roughness as
age function will increase the entropy value. The result was
fulfilling with the skin roughness based on subjective criterion.

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