Skin cancer is the most frequent cancer type and it is becoming increasingly common. Currently, a doctor or dermatologist makes a diagnosis, starting with a visual examination of the skin surface. If they observe anything suspicious, they take out a biopsy. The biopsy is examined under a microscope to determine if cancer cells are present.
The current method is not ideal. It is painful, costly, time-consuming, and unreliable to some extent: around 60% of the biopsies do not show signs of cancer while around 20% of skin cancers are missed at an early stage.
New medical imaging device replaces biopsies
The LC-OCT device is a new handheld imaging probe that looks deep into the skin, both the dermis and epidermis, in real-time. The device offers high-resolution images to the dermatologist who immediately can tell cancer cells from healthy cells. It’s reliable, painless, fast, and inexpensive.
DAMAE Medical has developed the device based on the Line-field Confocal Optical Coherence Tomography (LC-OCT) imaging technology, powered by the SuperK supercontinuum laser from NKT Photonics. The broad spectrum of light from the SuperK laser enables the delivery of high-resolution images that replace the need for biopsies. The LC-OCT produces “optical biopsies”.
From high-tech research labs to clinics
The two companies have worked together under the Eurostar financing program to combine the cutting-edge LC-OCT technology, developed by DAMAE Medical, with the innovative supercontinuum laser technology provided by NKT Photonics.
This cooperation is the natural extension of a fruitful collaboration initiated 3 years ago with the development of LC-OCT. The project has paved the way for the industrial scale-up of an unprecedented combination of technologies in the field of medical imaging.
Anaïs Barut, CEO of DAMAE Medical
“It is truly exciting to see how our SuperK white light lasers are enabling this entirely new field of medical imaging. With their broad white light, they ensure the high-resolution images dermatologists need”, says Jesper Toft Olesen, Product Line Manager at NKT Photonics. “DAMAE’s cutting-edge device can save lives and we are proud to deliver the advanced lasers that make it all possible“.
