Speclipse
Redefining Skin Cancer Detection with ML-powered Spectra-Scope

Although skin cancer is the most common type of cancer (with about a million new cases each year), physicians still struggle to diagnose it accurately. To illustrate, the outcomes from visual diagnostic methods are often conflicting and highly dependent on the skill set of physicians. Subsequently, oftentimes dermatologists count out many precancerous skin lesions considering those to be benign. This increases the chances of skin cancer going undetected and untreated for years. Dermatoscopy also provides several false-positives that lead to unnecessary biopsies, which, despite being a current gold standard for skin cancer diagnosis, is painful and expensive. These inefficiencies call for a non-invasive diagnosis device that can quickly and effortlessly determine skin cancer at early stages.

Observing this imperative need, a group of Stanford University graduates teamed up with a dermatologist to bring about a novel solution for early-stage skin cancer detection. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, Speclipse is widely known as a developer of a patented non-invasive, in-vivo skin cancer diagnostic solution, Spectra-Scope. The device diagnoses skin cancer with the utmost efficiency and accuracy by detecting skin tissue biochemical information through laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS). This enables patients to get rid of an unnecessary biopsy. “We utilize commercially available aesthetic laser that has no adverse impact on the body and shoots in the skin without any physical sensations,” says Dr. Sung Hyun Pyun, CEO of Speclipse.

He goes on to mention that SpectraScope incorporates a deep learning-based diagnostic algorithm that ensures real-time assessment. This makes the diagnosis process less time-consuming and more accurate.

The device’s machine learning capabilities for skin cancer detection have been sharpened with more than 20,000 emission spectral data of skin lesions. “The built-in capabilities of our device can give results with 95 percent accuracy when compared to biopsy,” Dr.Pyun mentions. What’s more? Dermatologists, general practitioners, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners can use the Spectra-Scope without breaking a sweat, which places the device a notch above the traditional methods and processes.

Further, Spectra-Scope improves doctors’ overall workflow and can be used as a pre-screening tool or a secondary confirmation while complimenting dermatoscope. In one instance, a clinic in Australia has been using the product since it was in the clinical trial phase. Today, it can effectively diagnose many Australians who show some skin cancer symptoms within a stipulated timeframe and have improved the diagnosis rate by 20-30 percent. “We position our technology as a complement to the biopsy initially by reducing diagnostic procedure time, making data less subjective and improving detection accuracy,” Dr.Pyun elucidates. He also talks about how this year has added a feather to the company’s cap when they got CE Mark for the commercialization of the product in the European market and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval, which ensures the product’s quality, safety, and efficacy.

Establishing the company with a single product and growing over the years, Speclipse is catering to a wide range of skincare clinics that currently conducts skin check-up or/and skin biopsy. Striding forward, the company envisions a partnership with the dealers to engage in local sales activities. Also, several laser companies and medical device companies are interested in partnering with Speclipse to repurpose their core technology for more specialized applications. This will help the company maximize the penetration of its distinct technology into the market and pursue an IPO track. “We are continually improving products to help physicians focus on their patients and make accurate diagnoses. We are committed to providing innovative medical technology to assist in challenging diagnosis cases,” concludes Dr.Pyun.