Posts Tagged ‘in-vivo confocal microscopy’

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, USA, July 18, 2007 – Lucid, Inc. today announced the formation of an association of European diagnostic readers whose objective is to provide image reading services for private European dermatology practices using Lucid’s VivaScope® in-vivo confocal imaging technology. Lucid’s VivaScope confocal imagers can non-invasively image skin in-vivo with cellular resolution. This potentially permits pathologic diagnosis without the need to excise tissue. The European diagnostic readers will validate the procedure utilizing Lucid’s VivaNet™ telemedicine information system to transfer and manage clinical data between the private practice imaging sites and the locations of diagnostic readers.

The diagnostic readers involved in the association include some of the World’s leading in vivo confocal imaging medical researchers. Initial participants in the Association for the Vivanet study include:

• Dr. Salvador González (Ramon y Cajal Madrid);
• Dr. Giovanni Pellacani (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia);
• Dr. Josep Malvehy (Hospital Clinic. Barcelona and CEDILP),
• Dr. Susana Puig (Hospital Clinic. Barcelona and CEDILP);
• Dr. Ralph Braun (University Hospital Zürich);
• Dr. Marco Ardigo (San Gallicano Dermatological Institute, Rome); and
• Dr. Rainer Hofmann-Wellenhof (Medical University Graz).

It is anticipated that additional European medical professionals will join Lucid’s diagnostic reader’s association as confocal imaging technology becomes routine practice in dermatology offices throughout Europe.

The diagnostic readers in the association are skilled in the diagnosis of a wide range of skin diseases including skin cancer, precancerous skin conditions and inflammatory skin diseases. Since the diagnostic readers operate in the networked environment of the VivaNet, consultations and second opinions among these experts is straightforward. The association will launch its pilot activities in the September of 2007 as the initial European confocal imaging sites come online. Full implementation of the association’s diagnostic reading services is expected to begin by the end of calendar year 2007.

The combination of Lucid’s confocal imagers and its VivaNet medical information system is a solution Lucid has pursued over the past several years. The launch of VivaNet in August, will make this combination a reality for patients and physicians alike.

Confocal Imaging Is Entering Routine Clinical Use in Europe

“I routinely use Lucid’s non-invasive confocal imagers in my dermatology practice here in Madrid, as do several of my colleagues involved in the European diagnostic readers association.“ stated Dr. Salvador González, a pioneer in the use of in vivo confocal microscopy for the analysis of skin diseases. “The availability of this network of expert confocal diagnostic readers via Lucid’s VivaNet should lead to growing acceptance of this technology by private dermatology practices in the Europe.”

“The availability of Lucid’s VivaNet™ system should enable the routine use of confocal imaging in dermatology practices,” said Jay Eastman, chairman and CEO of Lucid, Inc. “It allows dermatologists and confocal diagnostic readers to easily exchange medical information in a secure environment, thus allowing routine collaboration between these medical professionals in difficult to diagnose cases. Just as MRI and CT scans have largely eliminated the need for routine ‘exploratory surgery’, in-vivo reflectance confocal microscopy may one day eliminate the need for many routine invasive skin biopsies,” Eastman said.

Skin cancer is a significant concern in Europe, as it is in the United States and Australia. For example, according to the European Network of Cancer Registries (ENCR), approximately 59,400 new cases of melanoma occurred in Europe in 2003 (the latest year for which data is readily available) and about 15,900 deaths occurred as a result, a death rate nearly twice that of the United States. The average 5-year survival of patients diagnosed with melanoma in Europe throughout the period 1978-1989 increased in males from 59% to 70% and in women from 76% to 84%.

About Lucid Inc.
Lucid Inc., based in Rochester, New York, USA, is a medical device and information company dedicated to creating innovative cellular imaging technology and using the Internet to securely deliver accurate, real-time VivaScope® cellular resolution images to medical professionals. When coupled with its digital VivaNetTM system, the company’s ability to image in-vivo (living) tissue will aid medical practitioners and pathologists in skin cancer screening with clarity, speed and patient comfort. For more information about Lucid Inc., visit http://www.lucid-tech.com/.

# # #

Public Relations contact: Tiziani Whitmyre Inc.

post to del.icio.us

Technorati tags: [dermatology] [dermaologists] [actinic keratoses] [field cancerisation] [VivaScope] [confocal microscopy] [in-vivo confocal microscopy] [pigmented lesion] [melanoma] [telemedicine server] [pathologists] [microscopy] [DICOM] [DICOM-compliant] [confocal imager] [cellular resolution image]

– Study detailed in new British Journal of Dermatology article –

ROCHESTER, NY – May 31, 2007 – A new paper in the May 2007 British Journal of Dermatology reports the results of a new study that found reflective confocal microscopy may be a feasible alternative to skin biopsy in the diagnosis of actinic keratoses against normal skin, as well as in the detection of subclinical forms of this disease.

In the paper, titled “Actinic keratoses: non-invasive diagnosis of field cancerisation,” the study’s preliminary findings suggest that reflective confocal microscopy (RCM) “may be a useful non-invasive tool for detecting actinic keratoses (AKs)” and that RCM “may be a feasible alternative to clinical diagnosis alone and could aid in the differentiation of AKs against normal skin, as well as in the detection of subclinical disease.”

“In the context of ‘field cancerisation’,” the paper states, “repeated and multiple biopsies may not always be considered a practical approach. Therefore, evidence suggests that RCM may be a promising tool for the non-invasive evaluation, diagnosis and monitoring of AKs.”

For the in vivo RCM evaluation, a Vivascope® 1500, manufactured by Lucid Inc. of Rochester, NY (www.lucid-tech.com), was used to image AKs and the respective control skin sites.

“The VivaScope® 1500 potentially provides an alternative to routine skin biopsy in many clinical situations,” said Jay Eastman, chairman and CEO of Lucid, Inc. “With the publication of this new study, the potential effectiveness of Vivascope technology has been shown for actinic keratoses, a precursor to squamous cell carcinoma.

“Lucid VivaScope imagers are being used in a number of leading medical institutions in the US and in Europe. We expect that the publication of this most recent successful study will further accelerate the growing acceptance of VivaScope® technology by clinical institutions and private practices alike,” Eastman said.

“Just as MRI and CT scans provide a rapid and non-invasive means to image the gross anatomical structures of the body, VivaScope® technology provides rapid, non-invasive in-vivo images showing cellular morphology and nuclear detail. This potentially permits pathologic diagnosis without the need to excise tissue,” he said.

Study Abstract

Actinic keratoses (AKs) are among the most common cutaneous malignancies and have previously been classified as in situ squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with reported progression rates of up to 20% over 10 years. Since current scientific evidence suggests the presence of multilocular preneoplastic changes in the areas surrounding the affected skin sites, the detection of subclinical AKs remain an ongoing and challenging effort in the clinical and diagnostic management of these lesions. In vivo rRCM has been used for evaluation of the morphological features of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and RCM evaluation parameters for the diagnosis of AKs have been reported.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the RCM-morphology of clinically diagnosed AKs in our study population and to correlate the findings with routine histopathology. Forty four Caucasians (SPT I-III) with a minimum of one actinic keratosis (AK) lesion were included in this study. Evaluation consisted of clinical examination, RCM and routine histology. Reflectance confocal microscopy evaluation parameters included parakeratosis, architectural disarray and keratinocyte pleomorphism.

A total of 44 AKs were included in the final analysis. Following blinded evaluation by two independent investigators, 97·7% of all skin samples were identified as AK using RCM. 2·3% were incorrectly identified as normal skin by RCM, while routine histology showed features consistent with AK.

For the entire article, see the British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 156 s3, May 2007, pp 13-17, “Actinic keratoses: non-invasive diagnosis for field cancerisation,” authors: M. Ulrich, A. Maltusch, J. Röwert-Huber, S. González, W. Sterry, E. Stockfleth, S. Astner. Or, on the Web, visit http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2007.07865.x.

M. Ulrich, A. Maltusch, J. Röwert-Huber, W. Sterry, E. Stockfleth and S. Astner are of the Department of Dermatology, Charité, Skin Cancer Center Charité, University Hospital of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

S. González is of the Dermatology Service, Hospital Ramon y Cajal, Madrid, Spain and the Dermatology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.

About Lucid Inc.

Lucid Inc., based in Rochester, New York, USA, is a medical device and information company dedicated to creating innovative cellular imaging technology and using the Internet to securely deliver accurate, real-time VivaScope® cellular resolution images to medical professionals. When coupled with its digital VivaNetTM system, the company’s ability to image in-vivo (living) tissue will aid medical practitioners and pathologists in skin cancer screening with clarity, speed and patient comfort. For more information about Lucid Inc., visit www.Lucid-tech.com.

# # #

Press release contact: Tiziani Whitmyre, www.tizinc.com

[dermatology] [dermaologists] [actinic keratoses] [field cancerisation] [VivaScope] [confocal microscopy] [in-vivo confocal microscopy] [pigmented lesion] [melanoma] [telemedicine server] [pathologists] [microscopy] [DICOM] [DICOM-compliant] [confocal imager] [cellular resolution image]