Laser Flash Reveals Skin Cancer – Innovation for Medicine & Measurement Technology

A new generation of lasers is creating new perspectives for medical applications: With targeted, ultrashort light pulses, skin cancer can be diagnosed and cavities treated. Physicists at the Max Born Institute (MBI) in Berlin have developed a new method for the early detection of melanoma: In a very short time and without the need for tissue samples, lasers can reliably determine whether a skin change is a melanoma.

At the core of this innovation is the femtosecond laser, which generates light flashes of unimaginably short duration: one femtosecond is just one billionth of a millionth of a second (10^-15 s). Malignant melanoma, one of the most aggressive cancers, usually starts small and inconspicuous. The changes are barely distinguishable from a harmless mole. Researchers at the Max Born Institute noticed that diseased tissue, when specifically stimulated by the laser, emits a very characteristic, weak fluorescence. “This allows for a reliable distinction between benign pigment concentrations and malignant changes,” says Dieter Leupold, project leader at MBI. As a result, the procedure of tissue removal and analysis is no longer necessary, early detection can be accelerated, and the chances of healing increase.

For Leupold, this innovation looks far into the future: “One day, in addition to the photo booth and telephone booth, there will be a machine where everyone with a noticed skin change can check whether they should immediately see a dermatologist.” However, in Berlin, the focus is on making the new skin cancer diagnostic device market-ready. “We want to finish the first prototype by the end of the year and then proceed to final clinical testing at the University Hospital in Bochum,” says Matthias Scholz. The CEO of LTB Lasertechnik Berlin GmbH is already seeking cooperation partners to bring a “mobile, robust, and reliable system” to market in the first series.

Currently, such a device, with production costs in the hundreds of thousands of euros, would hardly be affordable for individual dermatologists. “This will change with mass production,” says Scholz. The possibilities of the femtosecond laser extend far beyond dermatology: “The laser is a true powerhouse and a precision instrument that can be applied with pinpoint accuracy without destroying surrounding material or tissue,” says Holger Lubatschowski, professor at the Laser Center in Hannover. Researchers in Hannover are currently working on applying the femtosecond laser in eye surgery and dentistry. It could allow for the millimeter-precise, painless removal of cavities without heat buildup, without damaging tooth enamel.

Lubatschowski expects the ultrashort light beam to also be useful in many other fields, such as measurement and manufacturing technology, material and surface processing, and telecommunications.

Peter Wolff, CEO of the venture capital company Enjoyventure GmbH in Düsseldorf, believes that femtosecond laser technology holds “a lot of economic potential.” The venture capital company invests primarily in technology startups, including those in the laser sector: “In the long term, the market segment for medical femtosecond laser applications is expected to be worth between 350 and 450 million US dollars,” estimates the expert. However, whether and when these markets will significantly grow remains to be seen.