NKT Photonics and DAMAE Medical use supercontinuum laser for fast in-vivo detection of skin cancer

Date Announced: 14 Feb 2020

The new LC-OCT medical imaging device, introduced by DAMAE Medical, uses NKT Photonics SuperK supercontinuum white light laser to detect skin cancer at an early stage, faster, cheaper, and without the need for biopsies. It eliminates unnecessary surgery. And it saves lives.

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 to deliver high-resolution images that replace the need for biopsies. Instead, 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.

Anaïs Barut, CEO of DAMAE Medical, explains, “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”.

“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“.

Throughout Europe, DAMAE Medical is currently undergoing clinical trials to validate the accuracy of LC-OCT diagnostics in onco-dermatology. It will be released for sale later this year.

About DAMAE Medical

DAMAE Medical is an innovative French medical imaging company that aims to address the global issue of skin cancer by providing dermatologists with a new in vivo imaging device for an in-depth skin examination, based on Line-field Confocal Optical Coherence Tomography (LC-OCT). This unparalleled technology enables skin imaging with cellular-resolution similar to histology, without the need for tissue excision and processing. www.damaemedical.fr

About NKT Photonics

NKT Photonics is the leading supplier of high-performance fiber lasers and photonic crystal fibers. Our main markets are within imaging, sensing and material processing. Our products include ultrafast lasers, such as supercontinuum sources, low noise fiber lasers, distributed temperature sensing systems, and a wide range of specialty fibers. NKT Photonics has its headquarters in Denmark with sales and service worldwide. NKT Photonics is wholly owned by NKT A/S. www.nktphotonics.com