Abstract: A method and equipment for measuring vapour flux from a surface (10) e.g. the rate of water loss from human skin, which is useful in the evaluation of the efficiency of the skin/water barrier. It uses a closed cylinder (12), which is placed against the skin and by measuring the temperature and relative humidity within the cylinder by means of sensors (13, 14) positioned adjacent the wall of the cylinder, the water vapour flux can be determined.

Abstract: A method and equipment for measuring vapor flux from a surface e.g. the rate of water loss from human skin which is useful in the evaluation of the efficiency of the skin/water barrier uses a closed cylinder which is placed with the open end against the skin and the closed end is cooled. By measuring the temperature and relative humidity within the cylinder the water vapor flux can be determined.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for measuring fluorescence characteristics of a sample material located at a sample station (3) comprising a fluorescence photon-event receiving means (9), an excitation light source (1) and a means (13, 14, 16) for determining the pulse profile of the excitation light. Detecting means (10) is coupled to receive the output of receiving means (9) and the output of the determining means (13, 14, 16) and synchronization means (4, 6, 7) is operable by the excitation light source to generate synchronization pulses for controlling operation of a measuring means (8, 12) which is coupled to the detecting means (10) and which is operable according to the photon correlation technique to provide on a time-shared basis a measure of the fluorescence characteristics and a measurement of the pulse profile.