4 Step Process for Dermatology Patients in Place of Biopsy

The current standard for diagnosing skin cancer is to take a skin sample, or biopsy, and have this analyzed by a pathologist under a microscope. This method of analysis may not always be feasible, especially if the mole or lesion is at a cosmetically important site, or on someone with many lesions. In these cases, several noninvasive tools can be used as an improvement upon a diagnosis by the naked eye. Of these alternative approaches, only the VivaScope can illuminate the deeper layers of skin with enough resolution for diagnosis. These captured images can be analyzed by a specialist with a high degree of accuracy.

VivaScopes are now used in major U.S. teaching hospitals and international institutions such as the Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and have been featured on the NBC Nightly News, the Today Show and a wide variety of other domestic and international news outlets. More than 150 peer-reviewed articles have been published on the subject in leading scientific and medical journals.

The VivaScope is a quick, painless and non-scarring diagnostic imaging tool that assists physicians in diagnosing skin cancers and other dermatologic conditions. This noninvasive imaging procedure takes only a few minutes and begins with the capture of a dermatoscopic image of the area of concern. This full-color, high-resolution photograph of the area is used for reference and can also be used to navigate the lesion with the VivaScope.