Fast wide-area multiphoton skin scanner to find melanoma earlier
Fast, large area, multiphoton exoscope (FLAME) for improving early detection of melanoma
This project is testing a fast, noninvasive skin imaging device to help spot melanoma earlier in people with suspicious moles.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11146527 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would have suspicious pigmented skin lesions imaged with a handheld multiphoton exoscope that captures depth-resolved, large-area images without cutting the skin. Images will be compared to standard care (including biopsy and pathology when done) to see whether the scanner can reliably distinguish melanoma from benign moles. The device is designed to be fast so it could be used in clinics during routine dermatology visits. The research is being conducted at University of California–Irvine and its clinical partners.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who have suspicious pigmented lesions or moles being evaluated by a dermatologist, including people with a personal or family history of melanoma.
Not a fit: People without skin lesions, or whose lesions are already clearly diagnosed and removed, are unlikely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the device could detect melanoma earlier and lower the number of unnecessary biopsies.
How similar studies have performed: Related optical imaging approaches have shown promise for skin lesion characterization, but fast, large-area multiphoton clinical imaging for melanoma detection is relatively new and still under clinical testing.
Where this research is happening
Irvine, United States
- University of California-Irvine — Irvine, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Balu, Mihaela — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Balu, Mihaela
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.