Electro-Optical Sciences has announced positive results in a clinical trial of the MelaFind System, a handheld imaging device that detects melanomas at an early stage. The trial was conducted at seven U.S. medical centers and included nearly 1,400 patients and over 1,800 pigmented skin lesions. MelaFind demonstrated 98 percent sensitivity, correctly identifying 125 out of 127 melanomas. MelaFind also demonstrated 9.5 percent specificity (the ability to rule out the disease when it is not present), compared to 3.6 percent for the 39 dermatologists who participated in the study.
MelaFind’s major selling point is the ability to look at lesions beneath the skin surface. The device takes digital images of the lesion at different wavelengths, processes them using algorithms, and compares them to a database of 9,000 skin lesions and 600 melanomas. MelaFind is designed to aid physicians in deciding whether to perform a biopsy. Electro-Optical plans to apply for market approval with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration based on the study findings.
Related link: Earlier MelaFind news at OneMedPlace