A revolutionary new skin scanner can detect black skin cancer without the need for tissue samples. This eliminates unnecessary tissue sampling and laboratory testing, as well as various scars on the patient. The Berlin-based company Magnosco is fighting against skin cancer and has developed a laser spectrometer that uses artificial intelligence to diagnose black skin cancer without having to take a tissue sample from the patient. Previously, when a dermatologist suspected skin cancer, the corresponding mole was cut out of the skin and then examined for cancer cells in the laboratory. The patient had to wait up to two weeks for the laboratory results, could not lift heavy objects or exercise, and was left with a scar of about two centimeters. The new skin scanner makes laboratory testing unnecessary and does not leave unsightly scars on the patient.
The laser spectrometer shoots light rays onto the patient’s skin and then analyzes the reflected light. If the color pigment melanin is present in the examined skin area, the color spectrum of the reflected light changes. The evaluation is done by an AI-supported software that tells the dermatologist whether cancer cells are present in the examined skin area or not. The artificial intelligence uses the principle of machine learning and was trained in advance with laser images of numerous healthy and sick patients. The results are available to the dermatologist in just five minutes.
Magnosco has already received approval for its skin scanner as a medical device. Clinical studies were conducted at the Berlin Charité and the University Hospitals of Heidelberg and Tübingen. The first scanners are already available at the AOK Nordost in Berlin and at the University Hospital Heidelberg. Magnosco will deliver numerous skin scanners to other clinics and doctors in the coming years.
This new technology is a game-changer in the fight against skin cancer. It not only saves patients from unnecessary tissue sampling and laboratory testing but also eliminates the scars that come with traditional methods of diagnosis. With the ability to diagnose skin cancer in just five minutes, this technology will undoubtedly save countless lives.
