In the late summer of 2014, I participated in a joint symposium with Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KIMM) promoted by Professor Kyung-Chan Park, who was my mentor and the head of the Biomedical Research Institute at my hospital believing that one should not become a 'man of limited scope.'
It presented the currently researched technologies, such as cutting-edge diagnostic testing devices, 3D bioprintings, robots, rehabilitation, and artificial organs, and discussed how to apply them in real medical settings. The most eye-catching presentation was "Development of laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS) technology for real-time in vivo cancer diagnosis" by Sung-Hyun Pyun. The idea of analyzing the plasma emitted by the laser on the human tissue enables determining the presence of cancer cells was applied and found an efficacy in gastric cancer cells.
The dermatologist’s laser is like a surgeon's scalpel or a physician's stethoscope, I think that for that device, the dermatologic field is the best for the first step. The meeting after the forum was the start of researching skin cancers.
The Spectra-scope, commercially available as a standalone device in EU and Australia, analyzes the skin spectral spectrum of plasma to determine whether the tissue is malignant or not.
The inspection with eyes is essential for the dermatologic diagnosis, but biopsy is the most precise, especially in skin cancer.
Skin cancer is more common in Caucasians, and U.V. rays are the most crucial cause.
It is so common that 20% of the U.S. population will be diagnosed at least once in their lifetime. In Australia, where U.V. rays are prevalent, two-thirds of the total population is known to be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70.
The skin biopsy is the most accurate standard test method. However, in most countries, unlike Korea, the cost of the test is expensive, and it takes 1-2 weeks to confirm the result. Moreover, a scar is unavoidable.
Therefore, many people have been waiting for a test method that is as accurate as a biopsy while obtaining quick results at a low cost.
Principle of Spectra-scope: It diagnoses skin cancer with aid of artificial intelligence by analyzing plasma irradiated to human skin with the Nd:YAG laser.
The Spectra-scope, a skin cancer diagnostic device, has already been officially certified as a medical device in EU and Australia. Approval process is undergoing in Korea and the United States, too.
This device analyzes the skin spectral spectrum of plasma obtained by irradiating the Nd:YAG laser, which is commonly used for pigment treatment in daily dermatologic practice, to the area to be examined. Accordingly, chemical information such as ions, molecules, and atomic composition of the site is specified. It uses a deep learning-based algorithm to determine whether malignant or not.
According to the results of a study conducted by 431 cases in the U.S. and Australia with an early model, which is an attached analyzer to an existing commercial laser, cancerous tissue could be distinguished with 94.9% of the sensitivity (the level of diagnosing skin cancer) and 86.9% of the specificity (the level of not being misdiagnosed). Following trial was made in Australia with a stand-alone device for 328 cases, it shows a better sensitivity of 97.6% and a specificity of 86.2%.
The Spectra-scope for skin cancer diagnosis takes only 3 seconds, with much accuracy as a biopsy, without scarring, at a low cost. Thus, it could be a quite effective device for skin cancer diagnosis, especially where the prevalence of skin cancer is high, and accessibility to dermatologists is low.
