Source : Perth Now news
An artificial intelligence (AI) app that detects potential signs of skin cancer can now work with a standard smartphone camera,
The Derm artificial intelligence software has already been used in National Health Service (NHS) clinics to help doctors assess suspicious moles by comparing images against a vast database for warning signs of cancer.
Previously, clinicians needed a specialist camera lens attachment to capture detailed photographs.
But the latest version, Derm Zero, developed by Skin Analytics, can now analyse images taken using a smartphone’s built-in camera, potentially opening the door to faster and more accessible diagnoses.
The software has received a CE mark, allowing it to be used more widely across the UK and Europe.
Derm has already been tested on more than 230,000 NHS patients across 24 hospitals, helping identify 20,000 skin cancers during trials.
Around 180,000 people in Britain are diagnosed with skin cancer every year, making early detection crucial.
Dr Alexandra Kemp, an NHS dermatology consultant at Amersham Hospital in Buckinghamshire, said: “Since we first employed Derm in our skin cancer pathway it has made a real difference to the efficiency of the care we can provide.
“When it comes to skin cancer, we know early diagnosis means better outcomes.
“To see this technology available on a smartphone, with no specialist equipment required, creates huge possibilities for expanding patient access and enabling earlier diagnosis.”
Developers hope the technology will speed up decision-making, ease pressure on services and spot warning signs that may be invisible to the naked eye.
