MelaFind Technology Cutting Backon Melanoma Biopsies - Essay Example

MelaFind Technology The MelaFind technology is a medical device, the first of it kind, which non-invasively investigates and analyzes skin to give more information to dermatologists about melanoma-like atypical moles (Nasir et al 128). When the dermatologist is carrying out a mole check or exam, they normally evaluate the mole visually to decipher harmful lesions that could be indicative of skin cancer. However, because the melanoma is not always visible to the dermatologist, MelaFind is used together with the visual exam to give more information concerning the atypical or irregular moles.

This device is not a screening device and is only used when the mole looks irregular and the dermatologist needs more information. This technology will apply to people with skin moles that are accessible for use by the machine, patients with clinically atypical cutaneous and pigmented lesions in the skin, patients with moles that are sufficiently pigmented, and those without fibrosis or scars from previous trauma (Nasir et al 128). It also applies to patients with intact skin and whose mole is over 1 cm from their eyes, and those who do not have moles on anatomic sites like genitals, lips, feet soles, and their palms.

MelaFind will improve quality and delivery of healthcare because it has been impossible to tell about the harm posed by moles without invasive surgical biopsies. The device now helps the dermatologist to make the correct call with regard to whether invasive surgery is required (Nasir et al 129). It gives additional information to the doctor to reduce the patients that would otherwise have been left with scars that are unnecessary from the biopsy, while also reducing unnecessary procedure costs.

In the future, the device can be designed to identify colorless melanomas, large melanomas, as well as squamous and basal cell carcinoma. In addition, its specificity could be improved because it still has a problem in differentiating hypothetical pregnancy tests and non-melanomas (Nasir et al 130). This will improve its ability to reduce the high rates of false positives. Work CitedNasir, Adnan., Friedman, Adam. & Wang, Steven. Nanotechnology in Dermatology. New York, NY: Springer, 2013. Print.