The diagnostic method developed by the start-up company Serend-ip, from the German nanotechnology center CeNTech was revealed for the first time in Israel at the Biomed Israel 2013 exhibition, which is currently taking place in Tel Aviv
A non-invasive solution, combining 'cell tape' and an atomic force microscope, for the evaluation of skin diseases, will be revealed for the first time in Israel at the Biomed Israel 2013 exhibition, which opened on June 10, 2013 in Tel Aviv and will close tomorrow (June 12). The solution will be presented by the start-up company Serend-ip, from the German nanotechnology center CeNTech which belongs to the BioNanoMedTech cluster. The company is part of a multi-participant German delegation coming to the exhibition on behalf of the German Government Office for Education and Research (BMBF). The delegation will demonstrate the latest innovations and developments of the German research, development and production bodies, in the fields of medical technology and bioengineering and will meet with Israeli research bodies to examine future collaborations.
Today, most of the first diagnoses of skin problems are based on initial examinations by dermatologists. The Serend-ip company, from the German nanotechnology center CeNTech, has developed an objective method for evaluating the condition of the skin using XNUMXD nanometric enlargements of the patient's skin. The sample from the patient's skin is taken by attaching special tape strips to the patient's skin and they are sent for examination in an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) - a microscope whose power is a thousand times higher than a normal optical microscope that provides doctors with a three-dimensional spatial vision at the nano level of the sampled surface. On a daily basis, the microscope is used as a tool in the study of matter on the nanometric scale, for imaging and measurement purposes and is particularly effective for investigating the surface of materials.
As part of the solution, the company developed a special computer vision algorithm (nAnostic), which provides a 3D view of the substructure of the patient's skin and provides a reliable measure of his condition. The first clinical tests are being performed these days on subjects suffering from the skin disease atopic dermatitis and the results show that the test is not only more reliable but also much more accurate. "The result obtained after scanning the skin surface with the microscope is a 3D topography of the model and it is very accurate," says Dr. Christoph Riethmüller, founder and CEO of Serend-ip. According to him, the new diagnostic method is mainly intended for the diagnosis of inflammatory skin diseases, as well as for the preliminary diagnosis of melanoma. "Additional beneficiaries of the method could be cosmetic product companies that can use it to test the success of various cosmetic preparations for skin care."
According to Dr. Ritmuller, he sees the importance of international cooperation in the field, and that the German delegation is coming to Israel in order to present their innovative work and create cooperation with companies and organizations from Israel.
