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Michelson Diagnostics Introduces New Multi-Beam, OCT Technology To Help Dermatology Community See What They've Been Missing
Michelson Diagnostics Limited will attend the American Academy of Dermatology's Summer Academy Meeting to demonstrate its breakthrough technology, Multi-Beam Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). Michelson's Multi-Beam OCT is able to produce micron-scale, cross-sectional and three-dimensional images of biological tissue in real time with a resolution better than 10 ?m. Multi-Beam OCT uses four laser beams to achieve double the lateral image resolution of conventional single-beam OCT, which is crucial to providing crisp, clear images of the subject matter micro-structure hearts.
"The technology is so powerful it can provide a three dimensional image of the beating heart of a fruit fly," says Jon Holmes, founder and CEO of Michelson. "We believe that the ability to reveal microscopic detail below the surface of tissue samples instantly, without affecting or damaging them, and with no special preparation, will be a critical breakthrough to dermatology community."
"For years I have heard about the benefits of OCT technology in ophthalmology and wondered if there would ever be an application for dermatology," says Professor Daniel Siegel, MD, MS, Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the State University of New York at Downstate School of Medicine. "From my research into Multi-beam OCT, this might offer a potential breakthrough for in-vivo and ex-vivo measurement of melanoma thickness and volume to aid in treatment and prognosis."
Currently Michelson has incorporated this technology into two products; The ExVivo EX1301 OCT Microscope and the VivoSight OCT scanner. The microscope is designed for laboratory use on excised tissue (e.g. skin, oesophageal and cervical) and complete organs. The VivoSight scanner provides real-time images of skin and other surface tissue through the use of a compact, ergonomically designed hand-held probe.
In the USA, the scanner and microscope are currently available for non-clinical applications. A 510(k) application for FDA clearance for clinical use is planned for the VivoSight scanner in autumn 09. Both products are currently being used in Europe, where the VivoSight bears a clinical CE mark.
Applications for Dermatological Community
The probe of the VivoSight scanner is designed for use on external tissue such as for imaging skin microstructure, with an isotropic resolution of better than 10 µm to a depth of up to 2 mm. Scan rates vary from 6.5 fps to 35 fps, depending on the scan width, which, in turn, can be varied up to 5 mm. The probe has full x-y scanning capability enabling rapid capture of 3D TIFF format image stacks up to 5 mm x 5 mm, with a pixel size of 4 µm. A specially designed adjustable stand-off enables image capture from awkward locations without subject discomfort. The software is designed to be quick and easy to understand and use, and does not require an in-depth understanding of OCT.
The probe will be suitable for many skin measurement and analysis tasks, especially those that require detailed images of sub-surface skin microstructure, at resolutions currently out of reach of ultrasound and MRI, and depths beyond that accessible with confocal microscopy.
About Michelson Diagnostics
Michelson Diagnostics Ltd (MDL) is a privately held, UK-based company with highly innovative products based on a unique optical imaging technology, called 'Multi-Beam OCT'. Michelson is leading the way in applying Multi-Beam OCT to the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of cancer, particularly dermal and oral cancer. MDL is working closely with leading clinicians, who believe that Multi-Beam OCT, by providing a new, detailed window into the body, will accelerate the care of cancer, enabling faster, more accurate treatment that will save lives and produce substantial cost savings to the medical services. Clinical trials are under way. It provides double the lateral image resolution of conventional single-beam OCT which is crucial to providing crisp, clear images of the subject matter micro-structure.
