MoleScope Helps People Monitor Moles For Melanoma
BURNABY, British Columbia, June 9 (UPI) — A new device and smartphone app called MoleScope may help doctors catch melanoma in patients earlier by allowing them to receive high-quality images of moles to better monitor them over time.
Using a mini microscope that attaches to a smartphone, the app takes pictures magnified up to 10 times and uploads them to a cloud-based system where doctors can access and review them without patients needing to schedule an appointment and come to an office.
“For patients who are at a higher risk of skin cancer, it makes sense to monitor them this way, and it seems to be user-friendly,” Dr. Jason Rivers, a Vancouver dermatologist and a medical adviser to MetaOptima, told The Vancouver Sun.
Rivers, who has used a prototype of the device, said the device follows what doctors advise patients to do anyway: take photos of their moles to monitor them over time.
MoleScope is expected to help in areas where there is a shortage of dermatologists or no easy access to medical professionals who can inspect and track moles that may be cancerous.
The device and app were developed by Dr. Maryam Sadeghi at Simon Fraser University, and it is now being manufactured and marketed by her company MetaOptima Technology. Sadeghi said the company is looking for early adopter dermatologists to begin using it, and will be offering access to a limited number of consumers, as well.
MetaOptima was spun off by Simon Fraser University through its Venture Connection program, which guides students from research and development of products to launching start-up companies that bring the products to market.
“It was obvious from the outset that Maryam had identified an unmet medical need and that she had strong insights in the application of technology to address that need,” said Hugh MacNaught, Mentor-In-Residence at the SFU program, said in a press release.
