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A quantitative method for analysing AFM images of the outer surfaces of human hair
Author(s) -
James R. Smith
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2818.1998.00404.x
Subject(s) - cuticle (hair) , atomic force microscopy , sample (material) , hair shaft , field (mathematics) , computer science , nanotechnology , materials science , optics , chemistry , physics , mathematics , biology , anatomy , chromatography , pure mathematics , microbiology and biotechnology , hair follicle
Cuticle step height is an important parameter for the quantitative assessment of human hair. This paper describes a novel, computational method for the rapid calculation of step heights from atomic force microscope images obtained from large numbers of specimens. Such an approach is necessary to allow a statistical analysis of the inherently wide distribution of cuticle step heights characteristic of a single hair sample. The method described will be of use to cosmetic formulation chemists and forensic scientists and also to dermatologists in the field of disease diagnosis.