ORPINGTON, United Kingdom--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Michelson Diagnostics, the UK based medical device company focused on multi-beam Optical Coherence Tomography (‘OCT’) technology, has commenced a clinical study to investigate the use of OCT to diagnose basal cell carcinoma in collaboration with the Melanoma Institute of Australia using Michelson’s Diagnostics VivoSight system.
The study, run by Dr Pascale Guitera FACD PhD, will evaluate VivoSight’s ability to triage lesions which are superficial enough to be treated non-invasively and monitor the success, or otherwise, of non-invasive therapies. The study is designed to determine the potential to change clinical practice towards more non-invasive treatments of basal cell carcinoma enabled by OCT. The study is expected to complete in 2015.
In addition, Michelson Diagnostics has received registration from the Australia Therapeutic Goods Administration for the VivoSight OCT scanner. Simon Luscombe of Momentum Medical will act as Michelson Diagnostics’ representative for the launch of VivoSight in Australia. The Company will be exhibiting VivoSight at the Australian College of Dermatologists Annual Scientific Meeting in Melbourne, 18-21 May.
Dr Pascale Guitera, lead investigator at the Melanoma Institute of Australia. Dr Guitera said: “I have a passion for cutting-edge techniques that enable non-invasive diagnosis of skin tumours. VivoSight has the potential to radically change the way in which we practice to allow non-invasive treatment regimes.”
Jon Holmes, CEO of Michelson Diagnostics, added: “We are delighted to be working with Dr Guitera and the Melanoma Institute of Australia. She is one of the top ten world experts in her field. We believe that our VivoSight system is the future of tumour diagnosis and monitoring and we looking forward to reporting the results in due course.”
For further information
Michelson Diagnostics Limited Tel: +44 (0)20 8308 1695
Jon Holmes, Chief Executive Officer
Simon Luscombe, Momentum Medical (MDL Australia) Tel: +61 439 424 500
FTI Consulting
Simon Conway / Mo Noonan / Victoria Foster Mitchell Tel: +44 (0)20 3727 1000
Daniel Billings Tel: +61 (0)447 010 499
About Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
Key statistics of incidence and mortality of skin cancer in Australia
- Australia has the highest skin cancer incidence rate in the world.1
- Australians are four times more likely to develop a skin cancer than any other form of cancer.2
- Approximately two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70.3
Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC)
- NMSC are the most common cancers diagnosed in Australia, with approximately 430,000 new cases estimated to have been diagnosed in 2008.5
- Of these 430,000 NMSC cases, an estimated 296,000 were Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) cases, and an estimated 138,000 were Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cases. It should be noted however, that NMSC is not reportable by law to cancer registries, like other cancers including melanoma, therefore the true incidence of BCC and SCC is not known.4
- In 2010 there were 445 reported deaths from NMSC.1
1 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2012). Cancer in Australia: an overview 2012. AIHW cat no. 70.
2 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and Australasian Association of Cancer Registries (AACR) (2008). Cancer in Australia: an overview, 2008. AIHW cat. no. CAN 32. Canberra, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
3 Staples M., et. al. (2006). Non-melanoma skin cancer in Australia: the 2002 national survey and trends since 1985. Medical Journal of Australia 2006; 184: 6-10.
4 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Australasian Association of Cancer Registries (2008). Cancer in Australia: an overview, 2008. AIHW cat. no. CAN 32.
5 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Cancer Australia. Non-melanoma skin cancer: general practice consultations, hospitalisation and mortality. Cat no. CAN 39. September 2008.
About the VivoSight System and Michelson Diagnostics
Michelson Diagnostics has developed a world-leading, patented, medical imaging technology, known as multi-beam Optical Coherence Tomography (‘OCT’), that uses an advanced laser scanner to ‘see’ into tissue with unprecedented image resolution and quality of image. Multi-beam OCT has many potential clinical applications, but we are currently focusing on dermatology.
Our vision is for our VivoSight OCT system to become the standard of care for the non-invasive diagnosis and monitoring of certain diseases and conditions that affect cutaneous and epithelial linings of the body. We currently generate revenues from our first commercial application of VivoSight, which is in the diagnosis of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).
VivoSight has regulatory clearance in Europe, USA and Australia, for use by trained clinicians in their assessment of the patient’s medical condition. We have launched VivoSight in Germany where the VivoSight scan is reimbursed for patients with private healthcare insurance.
The Company, based in Orpington, Kent, was founded in 2006 and has 18 employees. It has sales offices in Germany and USA. It has been supported through funding from a syndicate of Venture Capital, corporate and private investors including Octopus, Catapult Ventures and Angel Investors.
For more information about Michael Diagnostics, see www.michelsondiagnostics.com.
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