Verisante Technology Inc. has completed the second-phase prototype of a rapid multispectral imaging (MSI) system for skin cancer detection, the medical device maker said Wednesday. The MSI takes images of suspicious lesions with more than a dozen different light wavelengths to capture real-time spectral images in a fraction of a second. The images contain unique information, such as tissue oxygenation ratios, hemoglobin and melanin levels, and scatter sizes, among other parameters. The camera is intended to be a low-cost, handheld portable device that connects to a laptop via USB cable to assist in the detection of all major forms of skin cancer. The prototype is currently undergoing laboratory testing at the BC Cancer Agency Research Centre before starting in vivo data collection for training the predictive algorithm for the device. Verisante licensed the MSI technology from the inventors, Dr. Haishan Zeng and Dr. Yasser Fawzy of the BC Cancer Agency, for skin cancer and oral cancer detection as part of a broader acquisition strategy to enhance its intellectual property portfolio, which also includes white-light reflectance imaging, fluorescence imaging and rapid Raman spectroscopy. “This is a major milestone for the MSI camera project, which began two years ago when it was just an idea on paper. It is finally beginning to look more like a product than a prototype," said Thomas Braun, CEO. "While it is already lightweight and compact, we anticipate the final version will be even smaller and lighter. Once the skin cancer version is proven, we will build another version for oral cancer detection." Verisante will also explore the possibility of combining the MSI with its existing Aura device to determine whether the two technologies in tandem produce results with greater accuracy, since they are measuring different parameters. The Aura was awarded a 2013 Prism Award for photonics innovation by Photonics Media and SPIE, Popular Science Magazine's "Best of What's New Award" for 2011, and an Edison Award for Excellence in Innovation in 2013. For more information, visit: www.verisante.com