Clarion Medical Technologies Inc., the exclusive distributor in Canada for Verisante Technology Inc.’s Aura skin cancer laser, will host an official product launch of the detector in Vancouver for all interested dermatologists and medical professionals. Aura is a novel Raman spectroscopy device designed to aid in the early detection of all forms of skin cancer, including melanoma, and basal and squamous cell carcinoma. Verisante Technology recently won a Prism Award for the device, which is also a 2013 Edison Awards finalist. (See: Prism Awards Honor Innovations in Photonics and Prism Winner Nominated for Edison Award) Commercial systems have been installed in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and greater Toronto. In addition to these units, a device was installed at each of Verisante’s distributors in Berlin, Amsterdam and Zurich, with an additional two units going to Clarion in Canada. The company plans to produce 100 units in the first year of manufacturing. “We are excited to make Aura available to health care professionals and patients in Canada,” said Dan Webb, president of Clarion. “The clinical study results have shown that the device will significantly improve diagnostic accuracy and the potential to reduce unnecessary biopsies, which will result in better outcomes for patients.” More than 80,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed every year in Canada, with more than 5000 cases of melanoma. One in six Canadians will develop some form of skin cancer over a lifetime, and at-risk individuals are encouraged to have routine screenings. “As we continue to support the sales and marketing efforts of our distributors, the company is also committed to supporting awareness and educational campaigns about the importance of early detection of skin cancer,” said Thomas Braun, president and CEO of Verisante. For more information, visit: www.verisante.com